Ex Delicto
by MeteorOnAMoonlessNight
Summary: An imprisoned man who's run out of options to prove his innocence, a young attorney volunteering her time to help the wrongly convicted, and the actual criminal walking around free for ten years. The consequences of a crime are far reaching and often unseen.
1. Chapter 1

**This Prisonward story has been taking over my mind. I wrote 11 chapters in one week. I'm going to post once a week, and not let it interrupt my other two stories.**

 **MarieCarro made the creepy-cool banner, which you can find in it's entirety on facebook.**

 **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of S. Meyer. The original plot is the only thing that belongs to me.** **No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Credit always goes to SarcasticBimbo for her beta and pre-reader skills, and to coppertopj55, starsmina and rebadams7 for pre-reading. I had a special pre-reader for this one who is a correctional officer. Thank you so much dazzled-masochistic-lamb for making sure the prison portions were accurate. That being said, I earned my law degree at Google University, so while I tried to make it realistic, there are bound to be mistakes.**

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 **Ex Delicto ~** "from a transgression"; indicating the consequence of a crime.

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As I rushed from the courthouse to grab a sandwich from a street vendor, the phone in my bag pinged with a message. Juggling my briefcase, food, and phone, I managed to pull up the text. I scanned it quickly before dropping my phone into my outer purse pocket. It would have to wait.

When my busy day at the office was finally over, I pulled up the text from that afternoon and dialed the number to the IPNW. After the receptionist put me through to the director, I cradled my office phone between my ear and shoulder while I shut down my computer.

"Lara, it's Bella. What's with this new case? You know how I feel about SA cons." I listened to her remind me about all the signs we look for in an application before agreeing to help.

"So Mommy Dearest says he's innocent, and would never hurt a fly? If they have money, why did you accept?"

My eyes widened at her response, then I sighed. "I have a block of time on Thursday evening. Just to be clear, if I don't like what I read tonight, I'm not accepting."

I jotted down the initial info, knowing she'd email the case file immediately. When we hung up, I finished putting my papers into my bag and left the office.

It was dark out as I pulled into my parking garage, and the only thing I could think about was getting inside to change clothes and pour a glass of wine. When I had done both, and a frozen dinner was revolving in the microwave, I booted up my laptop on the dining room table.

The email included attachments with his application, which had been filled out by his mother. All of their money had been used to appeal his conviction, and they were now broke. Ten years worth of legal battles, and their son was still incarcerated.

Knowing that parents often felt their children were perfect angels incapable of doing wrong, I turned to the original case files. Eyewitnesses were heavily relied on, but they were all drunk frat boys, and the victim that thought she remembered dancing with the accused. There had been DNA that was grossly mishandled, but still upheld throughout the appeals process. All in all, perfect for the IPNW.

It looked like I'd be making another trip to prison.

The microwave beeped, and I put everything away, hoping to decompress. Instead, I found myself drawn to the files of the man about my age, who had been sitting in a cell for ten years for something he might not have done. I normally waited to get a feel at the first visit, and I _never_ accepted sexual assault cases.

This one had hooked me, though, and my mind continuously drifted back to the letter his mother included with his application. I had to go, needed to meet him and make the decision. I pictured a wrongly accused 19 year old, sentenced to 15 years in prison when he knew he was entirely innocent. Then I pictured him being released in five years, having to register as an offender and not being able to get a job or a place to live.

Sighing heavily, I picked up my phone and looked at my schedule for tomorrow afternoon. I needed to see what I could do about this one and get the ball rolling before he spent another unnecessary day in that hellhole.

 **~E~D~**

Coffee was a necessity of life. It _gave_ life, especially when I was up all night with a case that I should have let rest. I honestly did not have time for it today, but whenever I got the call that another case was next in line, it tended to grab me and force me to prioritize it. It wasn't the fault of the inmates that they were trying to get their convictions overturned at the same time that I had a full workload.

I had been working with the Innocence Project Northwest since law school, first as part of my case studies, and then as a volunteer after I graduated and passed the bar. Working as an associate in a large firm had mostly been grunt work, but I'd been there for three years already and things were looking positive for a promotion.

I finished as much work as I could manage before I ran out of time. The Olympic Corrections Center was more than a three hour drive, which was a headache all by itself. If I accepted this case, I'd have to schedule all in-person meetings on the weekends. As it was, this was going to be one long as hell day.

OCC is minimum security, nestled in the Olympic mountains quite South of it's address of Forks. The exterior was less industrial looking; low buildings with brown roofs that you could almost pretend was something more like a high school. Until you realized how heavily fenced with barbed wire it was. When I was let in I would request prison records, and the C.O. normally had them ready by the time I left. This was not my first time here, merely my first time visiting with inmate 285536.

The first buzzer sounded, and I pushed through the door to meet the C.O. on the other side. I left all of my belongings at the window, and the lovely Ms. Cope gave me a ticket with a corresponding number on it. I heard the sound of the second buzzer, and the C.O. and I went through the next door. I tuned out my surroundings and only focused on my breathing, the in and out as the walls tried to close in around me. I closed my eyes briefly, still breathing slow and steady. I opened them at the sound of the radio crackling on the officer's shoulder.

"That's him," he said to me, as though I didn't hear what the disembodied voice had just said.

He showed me to the interview room, and he was there already. Cuffed to the table, wearing a denim button down with his inmate number stitched over the heart. His hair was short and dark, too short to tell if it had ever glowed blonde in the sunlight, before all of this happened. His eyes were guarded, even hostile as he stared me down. I fought back a shiver.

There was the sudden feeling that I was in the wrong room; surely the anger I felt rolling off this man meant he was the wrong guy.

"I'm Isabella Swan, with the Innocence Project." I looked down at my notes. "You're Edward Cullen?"

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	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed the first chapter. I'm thrilled that you like my Prisonward, and that you all understand where his anger is coming from. Now I'll let Bella tell you why she was expecting different.**

 **For those of you that don't know me, my name is Lara. For those that do, I just want to say that the director of the Innocence Project Northwest is, in fact, named Lara; I'm not adding myself into the story. :)**

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The man restrained to the table in the stifling room glared at me, unwaveringly staring me down. I'd been expecting a young guy, friendly and open, eager to have help proving his innocence. Instead, I was facing a hardened convict, a face that looked aged beyond his 30 years.

He made me very uncomfortable, but I regained my composure and sat across from him. The only items I brought in with me were a pen and a notebook, where I checked the number I'd written down against the number sewn on his shirt. I was in the right place.

He still hadn't spoken to me, so I looked up to him, meeting that cold stare with one of my own. "Since I can see that your inmate number matches what I have written down, I'll just start talking. We have approved your application, and you were next in line. If I take your case, I will work tirelessly to review the evidence the state had against you. It appears from what I've read that there are areas that need to be looked at more closely." I flipped my notebook closed. "Do you have anything at all to say?"

He had been leaning back in his chair, his cuffed hands folded on the table exuding calmness. At my question he suddenly surged forward, face half a foot from mine, and I barely stopped myself from flinching. "I don't know why you think a bunch of _children_ could get me out of this God-forsaken place when my parents have already used all of their resources on high-powered attorneys that failed."

"Then why did you turn in an application for assistance?" I returned coldly.

"My _bleeding_ _heart_ mother figured you bleeding heart _idiots_ could come up with something all those lawyers couldn't." He scoffed, making it clear what his opinion was. "It isn't going to happen. I'm serving five more years in this hole, and there's _nothing_ you can do that will change that. So why don't you go running back to your fancy college, _little girl_."

Not exactly how I thought this interview would go. "I'm not a college student, I'm a volunteer." I was proud of myself for keeping the tremor out of my voice. "Which makes me an actual, practicing attorney, who is giving up her free time to help you prove why you don't belong here." I pushed away from the metal table, suddenly cold. Standing, I leaned over the table to meet his gaze. "If you aren't interested in my help, there's a list of about 200 people that are."

"Great, then don't waste your time on me."

I wanted to bang my fists on the table, but I didn't. Instead, I turned to go. Stopping at the door, my finger poised over the buzzer, I thought of one last thing to ask him.

"Are you actually innocent, Mr. Cullen? Or do you purposely have your mother fooled?"

There was no answer, just a bitter laugh from behind me.

I pressed the buzzer for the guard to come and let me out.

 **~E~D~**

By the time I got back home I had a pounding headache. I spent a good portion of the long drive home talking to Lara, the head of the Innocence Project here in Washington. She was disappointed in the outcome of my meeting, and confused over the behavior of the appellant. She'd met personally with his mother, and tried to convince me that he was not that person.

The very reason I never accepted sexual assault cases was the families. Too often, they made excuses for their sons; families with money paying for the best defense, and then the defense attorney victim blaming, or making excuses for why the accused did what he did. It's never the rapist's fault he raped someone.

Honestly, I was pissed at myself for falling for the letter his mother had written. I'd let her words sneak in, making me feel empathy for her and her husband, and yes, their son. And then I'd met him in person, and he was exactly like the guiltiest man I'd ever met. He didn't even want help, because he knew we wouldn't find any exculpatory evidence. Because he was guilty.

My next call was to my father, who happened to be the police commissioner for the city of Seattle. At first he only vaguely remembered the case, and then the more we spoke, the more he remembered. I'd been about to graduate high school, and he was worried what type of people I would face in college.

"I remember the mother, very nice lady. Told me right up front that if her son was guilty, she wanted the key to lock him up. That wasn't how he was raised to behave, she said. The evidence was circumstantial at best, the DNA results were mishandled. It looked to me like he'd walk, and I told her so. I felt awful when he was found guilty, because it honestly seemed like it was more a case of wrong time and place."

He didn't help me with my decision to decline, only made me wonder again over his guilt or innocence.

To make matters worse, Lara emailed me with a plea from Esme Cullen. She told me that she knew her son was innocent, and that IP was his last chance. She told me a story of a bright young college student on a scholarship, top of his pre-med classes. He was a few months shy of his twentieth birthday when he finally caved to peer pressure and went to a party. He spent all of his time studying, but his friends were all going, and they convinced him to go with them. He danced with two or three girls, one of them the victim. He admitted to having a beer, but nothing else. Yet when the cops came in the early morning hours, answering an anonymous noise complaint, he was passed out on the couch. A couple of girls were asleep on the floor, and he couldn't recall who they were. When questioned, the girls stated they'd danced with him and couldn't remember much else. One of the two girls was injured, bloody and in pain. When she was examined at the hospital, her rape kit came back positive.

The cops only looked to him at first. He was questioned endlessly, and answered to the best of his knowledge. He submitted to a DNA test, and at first they couldn't find any on the girl. When a sample was eventually brought in, it was mislabeled, filed incorrectly, and only run when they found it months later. It was considered a match at 80%. Nobody seemed to care that it had been stored improperly and deteriorated.

Nobody did a blood test on Edward, only the girls. Predictably, they'd been given Rohypnol. This was feeling more and more like a setup by the real rapist. I could not for the life of me understand how his appeals had been denied, except that judges were extremely reluctant to admit they'd made a mistake.

I had so much work to do at the office right now, I was going to put my application in for partner within six months, and now this. I didn't have time for this, or the rude man I'd met.

I told Lara I'd take it.

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 **Random Rita rec'd my li'l ol' Ex Delicto! If you found me through her blog, hello!** **Another hi to anyone finding me through the fic dive at A Different Forest!**

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	3. Chapter 3

**I'm really loving the response to this story.**

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After I'd gathered my student assistants and way more paperwork than I would have liked, we scoured over every detail of Edward Cullen's case that Saturday. It took all day, but when we were finished, we had an outline for what we would request to be re-examined and retested. The DNA sample was, to me, the clincher. If it was that poorly handled, I could not understand how it had been admissible in court. The only way to have his case reviewed by a judge was to uncover new evidence, or in this instance, refute the old evidence.

I planned to drive to the prison again tomorrow, to talk about our plans with the inmate. With Edward. I had a hard time using his first name, the way he'd treated me the last time. I was used to gratefulness, to tears and a feeling of making an extended family out of these people. I did it for them, to help those who had no hope left, but that didn't mean I didn't make any gains from it.

As was my habit, I nuked dinner and drank a glass of wine in front of the television. I was lonely sometimes, despite pretending that I had everything a smart, single girl could ever want. The odd part was, I had a great dad, two great brothers, and great friends. They knew how hard I worked, and were happy to fit me in when they could. But there was nobody to come home to, nobody waiting to ask me how my day went. No one to hold me at night when it was cold, or dark, or the apartment felt too small. Nobody to ward off the inexplicable fear that often had me sleeping on the sofa with my dad's old .45 tucked by my side, something I never told anyone.

Sunday came too early for me, having not slept well on the couch. I did some ungraceful yoga in an attempt to work the kinks out, drank a pot of coffee, and ate my weight in bacon and eggs. I dressed casually in a maxi dress and wedge heels, dragging my overstuffed briefcase with me.

I turned the radio up and rolled the windows down. The drive was tedious, and I stopped in Forks to have a light lunch in the diner. It was still another 45 minutes to weave in and around the mountain pass, and I tried to enjoy the scenery, but I had butterflies the size of pigeons in my stomach. I hate prisons; the walls are all industrial beige, with narrow hallways and tight little rooms. The drop ceilings were not going to win any design awards, either. Everything felt like you were going to suffocate; I had the irrational thought that I'd get stuck in there, that I'd be mistaken for an inmate and not let out.

I went through the routine of getting buzzed in, showing my identification, and handing over my personal effects. I only kept his fat file and a couple of pens, which I tucked into the pocket of my dress. I had on a light jacket, because the temperature controls were either set to boiling or freezing, with little variation in between.

He wasn't in the room this time; it was not unusual for me to arrive first, and I preferred it. It gave me a sense of control, which I was pretty sure I would need with this guy. I looked up as the door opposite me opened, winced as the C.O. led the inmate- Edward- in. He was shackled again, and he looked pissed. More pissed than the last meeting.

"Mr. Cullen," I said as he was seated, then waited for the guard to leave the room. "Everything we discuss in this room is confidential. I'm going to be blunt; the only reason I'm here is your mother. She emailed the Innocence Project's director after our last encounter, begging for our help." Something flashed in his eyes. Hurt, maybe? He continued to glower at me.

"I've reviewed your old case, and your appeals. The thing that we have that your over-priced lawyers didn't, is tenacity. We have a total of six people to work on your evidence. Two of them are full-time researchers that will investigate what they can, and request re-testing on other items. Two of them are college students that are graded on this." I paused. "I am aware that you are unhappy with my presence, but it would be so much easier if you would just cooperate."

I sat back, taking in deep breaths after that speech. He looked at me some more, his face drawn into a scowl. Just when I thought I'd wasted my trip with someone who was going to stonewall me, he spoke.

"It's not going to work. I just want you to know ahead of time, on record, that it will not work. Don't go getting your little girl hopes up, because I've been there and done that."

"So you're telling me that you've lost all hope," I said flatly. This, I could understand. This was an emotion I'd seen before, would expect, even.

"Hope is an evil entity, slipping inside your brain unbidden, with the ability to crush the most hardened man when it dies." He leaned toward me, but with no hostility this time. "I just want to make sure we are clear that I hold no more hope, that I believe you are wasting your time and everyone else's."

"So you're doing this for your mother's sense of hope?" His eyes snapped to mine. "Because it's still there inside of your mother. She is counting on me, so I'm going to make damn sure that my team and I get you exonerated. What will you do when that happens?"

"I don't know!" he exploded. The force of his anger seemed to punch me in the chest, and I grabbed it reflexively.

"Edw-"

"I cannot bear one more second of my mother's agony, or the look on my father's face that says he thinks I did it. She has spent ten years of her life trying to fix this. She wants to move to Forks so she can visit more often, but my father won't allow it. She's considered leaving him over it, over me." He dug his fist into his chest, tears in his anguished eyes. "I cannot allow one more life to be ruined because of me!"

We sat there for several minutes while he regained control of his emotions. Again, this behavior was more of what I expected.

"Your mother and I can carry all the hope necessary, Edward," I said gently. He shook his head, but I smiled. "That's what women do, you know. We take on too much, it's just in our nature. I know I have a stubborn determination, and it seems so does your mother."

"I don't think I have anything left to give. Just nothing. I can't help you." I was saddened by the defeat in his voice.

"I'll need to go over the details with you, Edward. It's the only way this will work." I could see the denial on his face before he spoke.

"It's all in there, for God's sake. I've retold what I remember over and over."

I thought about it. "For now, I'll use that, but at some point I'm going to have questions."

"Fine," he muttered.

It was small progress, but I would take it. It was a much more productive visit, and I most definitely had hope.

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 **A snippet of Edward's true nature shows through.**

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	4. Chapter 4

******HEY! HI! HELLO!**** In case you normally skip these pesky author notes, this one is worth reading. This story is full of suspense, and as you know by now, not every chapter is happy. This is one of those times when you're going to be anxious at the end.**

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I tried to live my life during the week. I had drinks with my friends, went to dinner with my dad. I shopped at the grocery store, made dinner that didn't involve the microwave. I was busy at work, I was always busy at work.

Edward stayed at the back of my mind. It was always this way with these cases, trying to understand the cruel fate these people had been dealt. Trying to help them understand that we were there to help them, that it was okay to have hope.

This, though, was different. He'd gone from acting like a hardened criminal to crying over his mother right in front of me. He'd let me go on about the evidence, he'd responded to my questions and not shut me out. Esme had been right about one thing.

Edward deserved a chance at his freedom. Despite our shaky first meeting, he did deserve our help.

Saturday was spent with my team again, working on the case file. I was sure there was something else we could use, something other than debunking the circumstantial evidence. In my opinion, the burden of proof had not been met, but the original jury and appellate judges felt that it had. He had not received an appellate trial de novo, and that angered me. That was the entire reason he was stuck in that place, because nobody had cared one way or the other what happened to him. If all the same evidence was trotted out as inculpatory, the appellate judges would assume the original case was accurately handled, and deny his appeals.

I massaged my temples as Leah debated with Liam the pros and cons of retesting the DNA. It had been a poor match, and he was positive another go around would yield a lower percentage, allowing us to ask for a remand. Leah was afraid the results would show a higher percentage, and then we would be out of options.

I had to tune them out. I knew that we were filing for a reversal on the DNA. It should never have been admissible after the terrible handling of the detectives working the scene.

"Leah," I interrupted their debate. "Look into the detectives that worked the original case. Do background checks, pull financial records, whatever you can do. Ask for it all from Judge Black, he likes us. He might give you enough to work with."

I dismissed them from my apartment. I'd had enough for the day, and the long drive tomorrow wasn't going to be any fun.

I needed to get Edward Cullen out of my head, but I couldn't seem to force my brain to cooperate. I tried crap television, but I just wandered back to that face time and again. Weary, overwhelmed, hardened. A 30 year old that looked 40. A young man that had a bright future once upon a time, but instead spent a full ten years in federal prison.

After another sleepless night, I made the long drive to the OCC. Absolutely everything about the process was tedious, but it was something I would willingly do every weekend until Edward could walk out of the prison by my side.

'By my side' had a ring to it, and a crazy idea planted itself in my already crowded brain. The ridiculous fantasy that Edward would be so grateful for my assistance that he would sweep me off my feet a la Prince Charming needed to stop.

When I made it through the process of getting inside and the door to the interview room opened, I was a little surprised to see him sitting there already. The door behind me closed, and I walked toward the table.

"I was… eager to see you today," Edward said. I could easily imagine he was a panty-dropper back in his day.

I smiled warmly as I sat down. "Why is that?"

He shifted, the handcuffs clanking together. "I want to get started on whatever it is that you think will get me out of here. Nothing would please my mother more."

"And you?"

"And me, what?"

"Wouldn't it please you to be out of here?"

He took a deep breath, the air filling his lungs and making his chest expand. He closed his eyes, then let out the breath and spoke without opening his eyes. "I don't know what it feels like, not to be in here. There's a certain fear at first, I mean, you're scared to death." He opened his eyes, and I saw the years of pain etched into his features. "Everyone wants to do a hoe check on a fish, and there's nothing you can do but take it. You don't want to be the snitch, cuz they'll make Hell itself look like a kiddie ride. You have to stand up for yourself at least some, or you'll wind up a June bug, and you don't want that either. So I keep to myself, and they call me a programmer, but at least no one's looking to stick their dick in my pocket."

He looked a little chagrined by the time he stopped talking, and I struggled to keep up with his slang. I knew some, it was hard not to when you were around inmates so much.

"So, they used to gang up and beat you, but they don't anymore because you didn't name names or take the beatings lying down. You didn't get stuck being someone's favorite, which meant being a do-boy, and you like to read and study online?"

He was nodding his head. "I try to stay away from the terms, but it's hard not to use them, you know? I want to sound educated, because I am. I may not have completed med school while I was in here, but I earned a bachelor's."

"That's wonderful, really, Edward. Are your parents proud of you?"

I could see that it was the wrong thing to ask as his green eyes darkened, his face turning into a scowl. "My mother is."

I left his curt statement alone, since we'd already spoken of his issues with his father.

"But I wouldn't know what to do on the outside. I'll have to register as a sex offender, and I'll wind up living in my parents' garage apartment, a drain on society."

"When I get your conviction reversal, you won't have to register."

"Mmm," was his only response.

"Should we get to work?"

We worked on his case file for hours. Time seemed to escape me when I was in that box of a room with Edward.

"See, my theory is that the real rapist is not only out there somewhere, but that he set me up. I don't know if it was a random pick, or if I was a target." He raised his voice in his ire. "To _know_ that bastard is living his life free, no bars, no concrete walls, makes me _so fucking mad_!" By the end of his sentence, he was standing, the cuffs forcing him to hunch over the table awkwardly.

The doors opened simultaneously, the C.O. on Edward's side grabbing him roughly at the neck and shoving his face into the table.

I was standing, too, screaming at them to stop. "Let him go! We were just talking! Let him _go!_ " The C.O. behind me grabbed my arms as I tried to round the table.

"You can't go over there, Ms. Swan!" he barked at me. I struggled still, watching as they swarmed in the other door, throwing Edward around as he met my eyes, the grief and shame evident on his face.

"You are violating the rights of inmate 285536! Do you want me to sue you individually and as an institution for contravention of rights?!"

Edward was led away like a truly violent criminal that had threatened my life, or managed to put his hands on me. I couldn't help the tears that coursed down my face, regardless of how unprofessional I was acting. I pushed my way out the door, demanding to speak with the warden. He refused to meet with me, claiming that the inmate needed to be subdued before he could get statements from everyone involved. Then, and only then, would he speak with me regarding the actions his corrections officers had taken to protect me and themselves.

I sat outside the prison in my car, crying. I was a grown woman, I was not prone to outbursts or tears. Yet here I was, haunted by the look on Edward's face as they led him away.

He looked defeated.

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	5. Chapter 5

**I know you're all dying to see what happened to Edward. I'll let you get to it.**

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I scrambled to speak to Lara about what could be done, to ask my dad who was in charge of the prison system in Jefferson County, to start paperwork to request a transfer to the Federal Detention Center in Seattle. I spoke on the phone to Esme, who told me she'd had a tearful call with Edward over what had happened. Turned out, he was concerned for me. He wasn't hurt, upset, or sad. Just worried that I'd been handled too roughly when I protested his treatment.

Crying on the phone with Esme was unprofessional, but I couldn't help myself. It was a shame that she lived so far from Edward, and had a husband who'd hardened his heart toward his son. She did plan to meet me there next Sunday, which I knew would make Edward happy. She told me she normally visited him monthly on the first Saturday, and would only have to alter her plans slightly to meet me there. I was excited to meet such a strong, supportive woman.

My weeks were about to bleed together; work was overwhelming me with a new case. I'd pushed all of my responsibilities with the IPNW onto my student helpers because I simply didn't have the time. I had to squash the guilt that came with that, and remind myself that he was still being helped.

When Saturday came, I slept as late as I was able. I was absolutely exhausted from everything that I'd been working on, and not being able to sleep at night during the week. I was seriously considering getting a prescription for a sleeping pill from my doctor. The two students arrived at lunch time, bringing food with them. We spread everything out onto the table, mixed in with the papers from the case file.

"Did I tell you I heard from Judge Black?" Liam asked. When I shook my head, he continued. "He's granted us retesting on the sample, it's being done on Monday. They're going to include a percentage of degradation as well as comparison. We won't have the results back for several weeks, but I'm confident that's going to be our ace."

I nodded, happy with the news. "Leah, what have you been able to get back from the research you were doing into the detectives and arresting officers?"

She sighed. "Nothing financial worth sneezing over, one detective is retired now with a squeaky clean record. One officer was only 21, he's the one I'm looking at the most heavily."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"He handled the DNA. Or should I say, mishandled. I think the answer lies with him. He wasn't on shift that night, but witnesses put him at the scene, in uniform. He only questioned the girls, took no statements from anyone else. Lauren Mallory, the victim, said she thought she'd seen him at the party earlier in the evening, in plain clothes. _That_ was left out of the reports, which were taken and filed by-"

"Officer Newton?" I guessed, looking at the names on the paperwork.

"Bingo," she said, pointing at me.

Something in my stomach turned over. "What is Newton doing these days?" I asked.

"Detective First-Grade, city of Seattle, Washington." She shifted some papers around, finding what she wanted and looking at me. "He's been denied promotion to Lieutenant due to, and I quote, 'too many disciplinary actions brought against him by superiors'."

"Interesting. Both of you, good job. Leah, give as much of that to the researchers as you can. Find Ms. Mallory and get another statement, specifically asking her who was at the party."

Finally feeling like we had something positive to go on, I was beaming as I went in to the corrections center the next day. There was a plump woman in the waiting area, with soft brown hair and kind blue eyes. Her face was lined around the eyes and mouth, and I could imagine the hardships she'd faced had aged her more heavily. She was still a beautiful woman with an incredible spirit.

"You must be Esme Cullen," I said, extending my hand as she stood. She set her purse on the chair and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Ms. Swan. You have no idea what this means to me," she said thickly.

When she pulled away, I saw her dash the tears from her eyes. "Mrs. Cullen, I love my contribution to the Innocence Project. I've had a nearly perfect life, and I just feel like it's the least I can do for those that haven't been as lucky."

"Whatever your reasons, I'm thankful for you," she said.

"You've been his only champion for ten years. Now you have a team," I said teasingly. She laughed lightly before we were ushered down the hall.

When the guard led us into the room, Edward was not there. We sat in the two uncomfortable metal chairs, waiting. I checked my watch too many times, only to realize it was just a minute since I last checked. After thirty minutes, I stood in agitation and banged on the door on our side of the room.

It was opened by C.O. Lahote, who looked sheepish.

"Paul!" I barked. "Where the hell is inmate 285536? We've been waiting for thirty minutes!"

"I'm sure he'll be here soon, ma'am," he replied stiffly.

"Cut the 'ma'am' crap, Paul. I was in your wedding, for God's sake! Where is Cullen?"

He hunched his shoulders and leaned in. "We've got a new warden, Bella. Hates the IP. Calls for more lockdowns and more rough handling than anyone I've ever worked for."

"What?" I breathed.

"I'm trying to keep my job, but you need to know- I never laid a finger on him, I swear it!" He moved back away from me as what he said sunk in.

"Wait, what? Paul-"

"Step back inside, ma'am. I'm sure the inmate will be along shortly." He took my arm and pushed me back inside the private interview room.

"You can't deny his right to see his counsel!" I shouted down the hallway, hoping someone in charge could hear me. "I demand he brought in _immediately_!"

The door closed in my face with a harsh click. " _Ugh_!" I screeched.

Esme was glancing up at me tearfully from her seat, her head cast downward. "This is why he's lost hope, Ms. Swan," she whispered.

"Please, call me Bella," I said, sighing and sitting back down.

We waited another five interminable minutes before the opposite door finally swung open. A suit-clad man I'd never met before strode in, his gait arrogant, his portly figure shadowed by several guards. Esme gasped, and that was when I saw Edward shuffling in, legs and arms shackled to each other. His sorrowful eyes lifted to meet his mother's before he looked back down at the ground.

I stood abruptly, my chair scraping harshly and echoing in the freezing cold, barren room. The air had been sucked out like a vacuum, and I couldn't breathe. I heard short panting noises, clamping my mouth closed only when I realized that was my breathing.

Edward's head had been shaved, and there were fading yellow bruises along his head and face. Someone pushed his back, and he stumbled forward and just barely caught himself on the edge of the table with his cuffed hands. His head came up, and I noticed the rainbow hues of deep purple and blue along his neck and throat.

"What the fucking-"

I was interrupted by the suit. "Ms. Swan, Mrs. Cullen, I'm Aro DeLuca, the new warden."

* * *

 **Any theories as to why there's a new warden?**

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	6. Chapter 6

**Everyone is rightly upset over Edward's treatment, but my favorite was, 'You don't touch Edward's hair!' Bella is all over this, and we meet Charlie.**

* * *

"How's it going?" Alice asked, dropping her petite frame in the booth across from me at our favorite restaurant.

I rubbed my hands over my face. "Honest? Shitty, Al, real shitty."

We each ordered a drink from the waiter, then I continued. "I got a new case last week at work, guy is real deep in tax evasion, and then decided it was a smart idea to skim off the top of his company's ledger to pay his debts. There's _so_ _much_ paperwork to go through, and it's all numbers."

She groaned. "I hate numbers."

"Me, too. I gave as much to my para as I could, and some was pushed off on the researchers."

"And you're not sleeping, are you?" Alice asked.

"Nope. And, of course, I'm armpit deep in an Innocence case that's gone sideways. I've asked Dad for help, that's how bad it is."

"What can he do?"

"I need someone with connections in King County, and Dad has more connections than a 1950's telephone operator."

Alice accepted her drink from the waiter before saying anything else. I took a deep drink of my margarita. "True, Charlie knows everyone, that helps him with his job. What can he do for you, though?"

"I need my inmate transferred out of the hell-hole he's stuck in. They've got a new warden, and he's a class A dickhead. Last visit, I'm there with the mother, and we waited for an eternity before they brought him in beaten, bruised all over, and his head shaved like a war criminal. DeLuca claims he was resisting the guards, and they only subdued him to protect themselves." I set my drink down with a heavy thud, shaking my head at the memory of the way he looked. Lost, like a little lost boy. His mother was beside herself, and the sadistic warden thought we were amusing. I'd love to give five minutes of alone time with Edward and that pot bellied lard-ass.

"Jesus, Bell, how do you handle that? No wonder you're not sleeping." She shook her dark head, giving me a sympathetic look.

"I… I internalize his grief, I think. It's gotten to me, _he's_ gotten to me, more than any other case I've ever tried, any project I've worked on. But even before him, I felt like something was going to happen. Some shoe is going to drop, so to speak. I worry about how safe my apartment building is, how likely it is that someone would be able to break in." I dropped my head, running circles on the tabletop with my finger. "I sound like a crazy person."

"Bella, you've grown up with the toughest cop I have ever known. You had two older brothers to protect you. And now you're alone. You've not been alone your whole life, and now you are. It's okay for there to be an adjustment period." She covered my hand with her own; mine was cold, while hers was soft and warm. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"So you wouldn't lock me in the nut hut."

She snorted. "Give me some credit. Although Baker-acting your ass does sound like fun," she mused.

"Ha. Ha. That's a Florida law, Alice," I said dryly.

"You can't take the Florida outta me, just 'cause your brother took me outta Florida." She shrugged. "You want a sleepover?"

"I don't think Jasper would appreciate the both of us curled up in bed with him."

She barked out a laugh. "I meant at your house, hoe. But, if you weren't his sister, he would absolutely want two women in his bed."

"But I am his sister, Alice. So, that's gross." We grinned at each other.

When I went home later in the evening, my mind wandered back to Edward again. Even once we were alone, he refused to talk about what happened. The bruises on his face were healing, but those on his neck were fresh. It just frustrated me to the point of pissed off, because I wanted to gather him up in my arms and take him out of there, and that wasn't going to happen.

I spent the week exchanging phone calls and emails with the secretary of corrections. He was launching an investigation into the OCC and it's new warden, but that couldn't help Edward while he was still in there.

The fear that he would be the center of retaliation was gut wrenching. He'd paid for my presence because DeLuca felt that we were a bunch of hacks, freeing the guilty on technicalities. He thought we were a waste of resources, that corporal punishment was the answer for felons.

If I didn't already hate him on sight, learning that would have sealed it.

We had one more week before the DNA results were back, and Judge Black had agreed to look them over and was prepared to give a ruling on whether Edward's conviction could be reversed. He was _so close_ to his release I could practically feel it, and now he had the new, added danger of the asshole warden.

Edward told me not to come back. He told me he didn't want to see me or his mother again, that he was fine without us. He told me to quit wasting my time on him, that it was useless.

I was back to square one with him, and I didn't know how to bring him back from the brink this time.

 **~E~D~**

On Wednesday of the following week, I received an odd letter in the mail. My name was typed on the front, and there was no stamp or postmark. Our boxes were numbered, and the only person with a key was the postal worker, a lovely older woman by the name of Julia Goff.

I didn't open it, but took it to my father the next morning. There was a single typed sheet warning me to stay away from the inmate in the Olympic Correctional Center, or I'd be sorry.

Pacing the spacious office of the police commissioner helped me to release some of my anxiety. I was pissed, I was scared, and I was confused.

"Between the misogynistic asshole running the prison thinking the IPNW is a personal attack, to the condition Edward was in the last time, and now this letter…"

He was silent, looking at the letter in his gloved hands. There was a camera on his desk, ready to take pictures after he'd studied that piece of paper as though it actually had the answers spelled out on it.

"I'm not giving up on this case, I don't care what motherfucker thinks he can scare me off," I ranted.

"Isabella Marie," my father admonished.

I stopped my pacing directly in front of his desk, staring down at him. "Don't give me that, Daddy, we're both adults. This is dead serious, and I'm not taking it like a meek little bitch. Aro DeLuca has to be stopped, and if I can't get Edward out really damn fast, then I expect to receive a transfer order for him."

He watched me, his bushy eyebrow raised. My father was in his sixties, with a mustache thick enough to make Tom Selleck weep. The lines in his forehead were from years on the streets as first a beat cop, then a detective. He continued to work his way through the ranks until he found himself appointed to push papers and make monumental decisions. My older brothers were surely the cause of the grey hairs, but they looked good on him.

"I want to put a detail on you, and I expect you to argue. I've spoken to the mayor, but it's not exactly our jurisdiction. I know you've been speaking to Varner, and that's your best bet right now. How much longer on the retest?"

"Did you also expect to slip that in there unnoticed? Em can be my detail if he's not too busy with all that silly undercover drug bust bullshit he's normally worrying about."

Charlie smiled, but it was strained. "I'll see what I can do. You know I admire your volunteer efforts, Bella, but-"

I put a hand up and spoke over him. "If the next words out of your mouth are going to be about me quitting, save it." I softened my tone. "You didn't see him, Daddy. He was covered in bruises, new and healing. His eyes were dead." I shook my head to stem the flow of tears threatening.

"I'm sorry, baby. You know I'll help in any way I can."

"Can you turn the key that will set him free? If not, then I need that transfer, yesterday."

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

**I have nothing to say up here for a change, but see me at the bottom.**

* * *

With my brother following me around like he didn't have important criminals to lock up, I was finally getting some sleep. I didn't want to know what his wife thought about it; she'd never been my favorite person, but we tried not hate each other for my brother's sake. He and I parted ways each morning after coffee, he to police headquarters, me to the law office.

It had been two days since I'd been in my father's office. I was on edge, grabbing up the phone every time it rang, desperate for news of either the test results or the transfer request. I was getting nowhere with that, and trying to reassure a sobbing Esme on the phone was enough to make me tear my hair out.

When the phone rang shrilly at three thirty on Friday afternoon, I snatched it up like it held the key to life, and nearly cried when it was finally the call I'd been waiting for. I slumped forward in my chair as the tech rattled off the results for me, my head hanging and the phone barely in my grasp.

 **~E~D~**

I was full of nerves as the buzzer went off, unlocking the door and allowing entry for me and the C.O. accompanying me. I wasn't about to show it, but I wanted to puke. My breath was coming a tad too quickly, and I struggled to regulate it. I saw Aro out of the corner of my eye, speaking with someone down a hallway to my left. He looked up as we passed, and I could feel his glare like knives stabbing me in the back. We stopped and waited for the next door to be unlocked, and I drew in a long, shaky breath.

I had news, and I needed to see how Edward was doing. I never came on a weekday anymore, the drive being too long, but this couldn't wait. It just couldn't.

The buzz sounded, the door unlocked, and C.O. Spencer led me to the private interview room. He let me in, then closed the door behind me. I stared at the door for a very long time before finally turning around and taking my seat. I didn't know what would happen after I spoke with Edward. It wasn't like I'd never been through this, but with this warden, it was anybody's guess. I was desperately, sickly afraid that something awful would happen after I left.

The door abruptly opened across from me, and the battered boy was led in, shackled at the hands and feet again. He looked so young and vulnerable this time, faded yellow and green marks covering his face and neck. He didn't meet my eyes, but shuffled forward forlornly, dropping into the chair like it took all of his waning strength. He had nothing left inside. Not a thing.

The hatred I felt for Aro DeLuca intensified tenfold, seeing how they'd completely broken Edward's spirit. I'd convinced him to hope again, and they'd proven that it was futile, just like he'd originally told me.

I waited for the door to close before I said anything. Even then, when I wanted to get the words out, I couldn't seem to speak.

"Why are you here," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "I told you to stay away. You did this," he accused angrily, his voice getting stronger. "You convinced me that it was okay to hope again, that I needed to have faith in you and the justice system." His laugh was bitter, harsh, and hit its intended target.

"Stop," I said. I trembled, but my voice did not. It echoed in the stillness of the room.

He shook his head, but I rushed to speak again before he could. "Edward, we did it."

His head snapped up, sadness etched in his features. He was as much a victim in all of this bullshit as Lauren Mallory. "Did what?" he whispered.

"The results, the DNA results. It was weakened saliva taken from an aluminum can, it wasn't, uh, it wasn't your bodily fluids. The chain of evidence was a joke, really, it didn't come from the girl's rape kit at all-"

"What are you saying?" His voice was louder, his attention more focused now as I rambled. I watched his throat work as he swallowed convulsively.

"It means, as soon as the judge signs off on it, you are an exoneree."

There was silence in the room as he seemed to process my words. I waited impatiently for him to speak, but I thought he deserved to take a moment.

He looked at me, his deep green eyes changing from anger and desolation to something else - wary hope once again planting its seeds. His lids slipped closed, and I had to strain to hear the words that came next.

"I wondered sometimes, when I was all alone." He paused, taking a deep breath and struggling to continue. "I wondered if-" Tears escaped out from under his closed eyelids, tracking down through the scruff that had started to grow on his jaw. He swallowed. "If I had actually done it. If I'd gotten drunk enough to be the guy they said I was." A shudder ran through his thin frame. "I hated myself, for _ten years_ I've hated myself, and so has my father. I thought I was a rapist," he finished in a low voice. More tears streaked out, and I longed to wipe them away for him.

"You aren't, Edward. You didn't do it, you are _not_ a rapist. Do you hear me? I have the proof at my office, and the judge is signing the papers first thing Monday morning." I leaned forward, and his eyes opened, burning into mine. " _Don't tell anybody_. Do you understand how serious I am?"

"I won't," he vowed.

"I don't know how they'll take it around here, what with Warden Hotlips in charge. I'm scared for your well being until I can come back for you on Monday."

"I don't know how I'll stand being here until then. Knowing for a fact that I'm innocent-" He stopped. "I've never been able to say that before, to know for absolute fact that it was true."

I smiled broadly. "That's why I do this, you know."

"I thought, after all I've seen and been through, that I had lost my soul. That I was damned to an eternity of whatever there is for people like me."

"I'm not terribly religious, Edward. But I'd say you've earned a pass from whatever god you choose to believe in. You had to pay for someone else's crime. You've earned a sainthood in my book."

We spent another half an hour going over the details. I assured him I would call his mom and dad, and ask them to come with me on Monday. I'd arranged with work to take the day off, and Leah and Liam were going to come with me.

It was so hard to leave this time, to know that he should be coming with me, and that the weekend would pass at a crawl for the both of us. I decided to spend it at my mom and dad's so Emmett didn't have to babysit me.

I was so tired when I got back to the city that I didn't notice the black sedan following me through the crowded streets.

* * *

 **He's getting out! The next chapter will be his release, promise. And, well, she's being followed.**

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	8. Chapter 8

**I just couldn't leave everyone hanging for a week. Finally, what you've all been waiting for...**

* * *

Monday morning dawned with promise. There were soft, fluffy clouds dotting the bright blue sky, and I took a deep lungful of air from my position on my balcony. I drank my coffee slowly, waiting with the patience of a toddler for the time that the others would arrive. I needed to be in the mountains south of Forks.

With Edward.

Esme assured me that he would be welcome in their home until he could make other arrangements. Her husband, Carlisle, had been stunned to hear that Edward was actually innocent after all they'd been through. Understandably, he wanted to see the documents I was bringing with me. Not so understandably, was the way he'd shunned his son for the past eight years, once he'd been convicted and the first appeals denied. He'd left his wife to carry the burden of their son's incarceration, and I knew that wasn't something I'd be able to easily forgive. I couldn't imagine how Edward and Esme handled it.

There was a knock at my door, and I heard Emmett as he asked who it was. I went inside to stand at the door with him. He checked the doorscope from the side, then opened the door with the chain on, taking a look at the people standing in the hallway.

"Jesus, Em, let them in, they're my law students." I made introductions as Emmett relaxed. He and Liam seemed to like each other, talking about tech shit I didn't understand. Leah and I talked about her driving, since I'd done so much of it lately, and whose vehicle we would use.

There was another knock, and I heard Esme's voice on the other side of the door.

"Let them in," I hissed.

We congregated by my front door, the rag tag lot of us. Emmett finally led us to the parking garage, looking around like a sniper was about to take me out before he let us get in the SUV belonging to Leah's dad that we were all riding in. I said goodbye to my big brother, wondering when he'd be done with his sister's detail.

I alternated between dozing and staring out the car window at the sunny sky. It was perfect for Edward to feel freedom on such a gorgeously sunny day. Glancing in the backseat, I watched Carlisle studying the extra set of paperwork I brought along. I had to bite my tongue, because it wasn't my business. Besides, I was giddy the closer we got, fidgeting more and more in my seat. I smoothed the linen pants I wore, fiddled with the delicate chain around my neck. I caught a glimpse of Esme straightening her pearls and the light sweater she wore. Everyone seemed to start talking at once as we passed through the mountains, realizing how close we were.

I forced the others to stay outside while I took the paperwork in. I wasn't sure if there would be any trouble, but I wasn't taking chances that they could get caught up in it. Liam insisted he accompany me, and I wondered if Emmett had gotten ahold of him. Whatever, he had to learn sometime.

I walked up to the desk, where Ms. Cope sat at her computer, and requested to see the warden. She looked surprised, but got up and disappeared through her door. We waited for fifteen minutes, Liam checking his watch every two. I expected nothing less by now.

Finally, Boss Hogg came through the door, his buttons straining to contain his girth. His dark hair was greasy, slicked back and hanging to his collar. He gave me the creeps.

"What could I possibly owe the honor of your presence to?" he asked in a bored voice.

I smiled wide, smugly pulling the papers from their folder in my bag. "I received these documents this very morning via courier. You'll see they're notarized by the King County clerk of the court, Judge Black has signed and attached his seal, and even the Secretary of Corrections of Jefferson County signed off."

He frowned unhappily he looked down at the paperwork I'd bombarded him with.

"It's a release order," I offered helpfully, since he still hadn't spoken.

"What- what am I supposed to do with this garbage?" he said snidely, but I wasn't convinced of his act this time. He knew what was going on, and he was pissed that I had the upper hand.

"Since I have several sets of notarized copies, you can do whatever you want with them." I leaned forward a bit. "I have several suggestions."

Liam cleared his throat. "It means you have to release inmate 285536 into our custody, with his belongings, for permanent release."

"And I expect him to be in perfect condition, without a scratch on him. Am I clear?" DeLuca glared at me in such a way that made me glad Liam had come in with me.

"Of course," he said tersely.

When he disappeared down the hallway behind the locked door, I let out the breath I'd been holding. I was still nervous that he would try to pull something, but I had so much paperwork from so many officials that he couldn't deny Edward's right to be released.

I sat in a plastic chair up in the front waiting area, trying to watch the news on the miniscule television. It was useless, with all of my thoughts focused on what was going on behind closed doors. Liam sat next to me, playing around on his phone. I bounced my leg up and down, trying to let out the nervous energy building inside me.

Not surprisingly, we waited for forty-five minutes before the buzzing behind me made me jump, and then I launched up. C.O. Lahote was there smiling, holding the door for Edward. He appeared younger, dressed in the pair of crisp jeans and navy polo his mother recently bought him, and for once he looked happy to see me.

I moved forward, Liam shadowing me and taking the large manila envelope with Edward's meager belongings inside. We were subdued, trying our best to hide our feelings while inside the building. I pushed open the door, blinking in the sunshine, my eyes locating the trio waiting for us on a bench beyond the electric gate. We waited for it to buzz and grate open loudly before walking through.

The moment Edward was over the line and on the side of freedom, his mother launched herself off the bench and ran for him. He strode quickly forward, wrapping his long arms around her waist as they met, and I swear he was holding her up, holding her to the earth. She had no bones left, just collapsing into her son's embrace for the first time in ten years. They were both crying, and I realized that so was everyone else. My own tears flowed down my face, trickling down my neck until I wiped them away with the back of my hand.

Carlisle hovered behind his wife, uncertainty and something like shame etched on his face. He was the same height as Edward, and I could see as I watched him how much they looked alike. When Esme pulled away, her hand still on Edward's arm, she looked to her husband and put an arm out to include him in their embrace. Carlisle awkwardly patted his son on the back without making eye contact, and Edward looked very stiff as he stood there.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Leah asked, breaking up the uncomfortable little reunion.

We all piled back into Leah's vehicle, Esme and Edward glued to the hip. I noticed that Carlisle sat in the third row with Liam, allowing the other two to sit alone in the second row. I wondered how long he would remain standoffish.

The two Cullens chatted quietly the whole way to my apartment complex, and I made a point of not listening in. I knew that Edward was going to live in his parents' garage apartment; he was not kidding when he mentioned that to me originally. He had to meet me at the courthouse tomorrow afternoon to sign paperwork with the clerk's office, and I planned on filing for wrongful imprisonment compensation at the same time. It was going to be hard for him to readjust, but I knew his mother would gladly help him every step of the way.

Emmett returned at the same time as we did, and I introduced him to Edward as we piled out of the vehicle to go our separate ways. I wasn't done with the work I would still have to do for Edward, but I felt the biggest sense of relief at not having to worry about him physically anymore. We could work on emotional and mental.

"It's nice to meet you, Edward," Emmett said as he shook his hand.

"You as well," Edward said formally.

"My brother is a cop, he's hanging out with me tonight," I said in an effort to smooth things over.

Edward looked at me then, really stared right through to the parts of me that even I overlooked. I held his gaze, past when I felt uncomfortable, and even still as my face warmed.

"I don't have any words that wouldn't sound trite," he finally said in a voice husky with emotion.

"I understand, Edward, really. Liam, Leah and I are extremely happy to have been able to help you."

He broke from his transfixed stare, glancing at the two of them. He shook hands with each of them, saying a quietly sincere thanks. They got back in Leah's car and pulled out, and Emmett and I stood with the Cullens.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the courthouse, yeah? Clerk of the court's office. Do you have transportation?"

He nodded. "Mom is going to drive me, for now. My license is expired," he grinned, a quick show of a happy boy.

I grinned back. "Of course. I'll see you then."

I stood in the garage with my brother, watching the Cullens pull out and turn the corner out of sight.

"You done good, sis. Real good," Emmett said at my side. I smiled at him, relieved and thrilled to have accomplished my task. Edward was now an exoneree.

* * *

 **Now the focus falls on Edward healing, and Bella proving who the real rapist is, whatever the cost.**

 **To the guest that left a politely worded question: you made a good point, but you didn't sign in. I answered you on facebook instead.**

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	9. Chapter 9

**Everything is changing for Bella...**

* * *

If I thought my life was going to go back to normal once I got Edward Cullen out of prison, I was sorely mistaken. He had plans with his mother to go shopping for clothes as soon as he'd finished with the paperwork at the courthouse, so I didn't have very much time to talk to him. I filed what I needed to, and then when I got back to the office I was handed another case. I knew that I should be grateful, and I was, because they were looking at making me a partner. I had to show that I could multitask two big cases at one time.

But Jesus take the wheel, if I got stuck with one more embezzlement case I was going to lose it. I hated numbers, had struggled to keep up in my pre-req math classes. Seriously, Jasper had to tutor me just so I could pass.

Despite my heavy case load, I headed over to the university to finish my paperwork with them. Leah had interviewed Lauren Mallory and wanted to continue the aspect of finding the real rapist. It was good practice for her, even though the statute had run out for prosecuting him if she found him. She told me she thought she knew who it was, but she was nervous to talk about it over the phone.

"So, I had Lauren list everyone she could remember having been at the party that night. She wrote down a handful of names, and look who popped up."

Leah showed me the list. I met her eyes over the notepad. "Are you serious?" I breathed.

She nodded, the same look of incredulity on her face that must've been on mine. "And I don't think there's shit I can do about it. It was ten years ago, and I had to look it up. The law on the statute is really confusing, but it has to be within ten years after the report was filed. It's been ten years and eight months. I mean, we missed our fucking window by only a few months, B."

"There's no real evidence, though. It wouldn't have mattered." I frowned, growing frustrated at the very law that I loved.

"Oh, wait until you see what Liam has," she whispered, like it was a secret.

"What does Liam have?" I asked, confused. I didn't know he was still looking into this too.

Liam loped over to us as I waved him over. "Hey, Bella. What's up?"

"Leah says you have some new evidence on the Mallory case," I said in a lowered voice.

"Oh! Yeah, the lab got back to me. I'd asked them to rerun the rape kit, because it seemed like everything was done incorrectly at the time of the crime."

"And?" I asked impatiently.

" _And_ , there was a specimen included by the hospital, never unsealed or tested," he answered somewhat proudly.

My jaw literally hung open at this revelation.

"They tested it, and it came back as someone that's in the system, but not as a criminal. It was entered in the system as an elimination process back about five years ago, when there was a claim that a city police officer was committing serial murder. It was proven that it was not one of them, but the samples are still sitting there."

"So, it belongs to a police officer?" I confirmed.

"A detective," he agreed.

"Let me guess. Newton?"

When he nodded, I instructed the both of them not to tell anybody what they'd found. I asked for the files, and tucked them in my briefcase. I needed my dad for this one.

 **~E~D~**

Charlie was not unused to me barging into his office with nothing more than a perfunctory knock. I rarely remembered to call his assistant ahead of time, but she always let me go back if he wasn't with anybody.

I slapped the folder on his desk after storming in. "There has to be something we can charge this fucker with."

He kept writing, not even glancing up. "It's good to see you too, Isabella."

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life, Dad. The students proved who really committed the crime that Edward spent ten years paying for."

"Hasn't the statute expired?" he asked, finally looking up.

"That's why I need you to look at this and see what you can charge him with. Obstruction, unlawful imprisonment, _jaywalking_ for all I give a shit. He can't keep walking around pretending to be one of the good guys," I seethed.

His caterpillar eyebrows pulled together. "What does that mean?"

"He's a detective, Dad. He's one of yours."

Charlie sat back in his chair, hands steepled in his lap. "You have my full attention."

"He was fresh out of the police academy when he did this. Rohypnol was found in the girl's system, and traces of it were in the DNA sample that came from the can of beer Edward was drinking. He was the officer that took the girls' statements, and he 'mishandled' the specimens. He's been promoted for the past ten years while Edward rotted in prison in his place!"

He studied my flushed face, then looked down at the paperwork on his desk. He took a deep breath and blew it out. "There's been a black sedan parked just down the street from your apartment since you received that threatening letter. Every time Emmett goes downstairs to get the tag, the car takes off."

For the second time in one day, my jaw dropped. "When was anyone going to tell me?"

"I just did," he said mildly. When I opened my mouth to protest, he cut me off. "You need to stop looking into this. Keep it to yourself, tell your student helpers to do the same." I fumed while he drummed his fingers. "This one's mine, Isabella, you're right about that. _I'm_ going to fix this."

"It's not your fault, you know that. You were, what, a lieutenant? And not his sup, so don't take on the guilt. Just find a way to put him behind bars."

He hummed, his non-committal obvious. "I'm increasing your detail, and I _do not_ want you to argue. Emmett will keep the evening and overnight watch, but I'm going to hand pick someone to escort you to and from work. If you have court, I expect a phone call, same if you go to lunch or so much as step out for a cup of coffee. I'm betting he knows we're closing in on this information he thought he'd buried."

I sighed. "I'm going to tell the others to pretend they never found this info. I need to keep them safe, they're still just kids."

"You're my kid, so you come first. Not a step, Bella Marie. I'm serious." His tone was severe, reminding me of my childhood.

"I understand, Dad, even without the stern voice."

His lips twitched, making his mustache dance. "I'm glad we agree on something."

I moved toward him, leaning down and throwing my arms around his neck. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, Pumpkin. Tell Emmett I said hi, and to have his ass and his wife's at my house on Sunday."

"I will. Though, I'm not sure how well that will go, since I'm stealing her husband for the foreseeable future."

"Now, I love my daughter-in-law, but she can keep her opinion to herself. Your safety comes above her cuddle needs. It won't be forever."

"Ah, you be sure to tell her that next time you see her."

"Not me," he protested.

"I'll tell her Cuddle Bear, he can pass it on."

His eyes narrowed on me. "You wouldn't sell out your old man, would you?"

I smiled, then kissed his cheek. "Never."

* * *

 **If you haven't checked out BeLynda's blog yet, she's talking Ex Delicto this week, and snuck in a spoiler. SmutSlutsandAngstWhores dot blogspot dot com.**

 **I hope that all who celebrate have a wonderful Thanksgiving. If you don't observe it, then happy Thursday!**

 **facebook (dot com) /groups/1533457420295204/**


	10. Chapter 10

**I know everyone missed Edward.**

* * *

Edward invited me to come to his mother's house on Saturday. I had an escort, who stayed outside in the car, or maybe he swept the ground for land mines. I don't know.

I was a little surprised to find that Esme and Carlisle had gone off for the day. I expected her to be there with us. I was thrown off guard at her absence, unsure of what Edward wanted from me.

We sat in the eat-in kitchen, and he offered me some of Esme's cookies. "She's been cooking and baking like crazy since I came home. I admit, I missed her food, but she's over taxing herself."

"It's how mothers show love. You _are_ a skinny rail, so I bet she's fattening you up like Wilbur the pig for the county fair."

"Touché, Charlotte. I do need to gain weight." He sighed. "I don't really know how to be normal now. I don't even know what normal _is._ I just know that I have a soft bed, I can eat what I want when I want, and there's nobody else in the shower with me."

I shuddered at that mental image. "Well, compensation claims are a new thing, so it's not a guarantee. That could help you out, but it would be a while."

"I don't want anything else from the state," he said bitterly.

"Well, they owe you big for fucking this up. All it took was for anybody at all to take another look at the DNA, instead of every single judge denying you that right. I've learned so much from that sample," I muttered.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"I've learned the answers to the world's problems." I let out a sigh. "My dad is the police commissioner, did I tell you that? He's taking care of it, and I'm staying out of it."

"You know I have no idea what you're talking about, right?"

"Yeah, we're gonna keep it that way."

"Okay, then." He frowned, but looked amused. "Are there volunteer positions at the Innocence Project that don't require a law degree?"

"Of course. There are researchers that help with the drudgery. Are you…"

"Thinking of helping out, yes. It seems like the right thing to do while I get my life sorted out. I can't sit around the house all day."

"That would be amazing, Edward." I beamed at him.

"Um, Bella." He swallowed, then cleared his throat. Then did it again.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, concerned at the way his face flushed.

"Yeah, I just don't know how to… would you, I mean, could we go and, I don't know, get something to eat?" He ducked his head adorably, blushing harder.

"I- yes. Of course. As friends or…? I mean, I just want to know what you're looking for. I haven't done this in a very long time, and I don't want to make any assumptions-"

"Bella," he cut me off with a laugh.

"Sorry, I ramble. Yes. Now?"

"If you don't have any other plans," he amended.

I smiled so big my cheeks hurt. "Nope." Then I remembered 007 wandering around the Cullens' yard. "Oh, shit. I forgot."

His face changed from the boyish happiness he was sporting a minute ago, visibly falling.

"No! No, that's not what I meant. I just, oh Jesus." I closed my eyes briefly. "You remember seeing my brother the other day?"

He nodded, confusion marring his face.

"He's my brother, yes, but he's a cop. Like I said. Um." Now I was the nervous one, which was stupid. "I have a… thing. And there is a guy, right now, in your driveway. He drove me, and uh, he's going to have to come along," I finished like a lame duck.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

I closed my eyes to avoid his probing green stare, dropping my head and scrubbing it roughly. I snapped my head up as his chair scraped back, and there he was, kneeling in front of me.

"Is something wrong?" he asked seriously.

"Yes," I whispered. "But I don't want to burden you with it when you're just starting to get your life back."

"I wouldn't have asked you here if I didn't want to be at least friends. You know, I felt a… connection to you from the beginning. I thought you were foolish to come to me, to think you could help me." He brushed my hair out of my face, and I startled at the gentle touch. He smiled, and that alone was breathtaking. "I admit, I thought you were incredibly young and naive. I see now that I was the naive one. You're brilliant."

"No hero worship, Edward, just because I managed to free you; don't think that means you have any obligation."

He leaned forward, and I caught my breath as I watched his eyes. They deepened as his breath fanned across my cheek. I closed my eyes as he came so close I couldn't focus on his features anymore. I felt the soft pressure of his warm lips on the corner of my mouth. He pressed a kiss to the other corner before pulling away.

I blinked my eyes open, and he was sitting back on his heels. I felt confused, but my heart was beating double time.

"Does that feel like an obligation, Bella?"

I shook my head. I didn't trust my voice.

"Will you _please_ tell me about the trouble you're having?" he asked me in the sexiest voice I'd ever heard.

"I," I breathed, then swallowed. He'd stirred me up. "I think someone is following me. So Daddy put a protective detail on me. He added the day shift, a Morgan Freeman to my Jessica Tandy. Except, I'm not a racist old coot. Anyway," I waved my hand as if to erase what I'd said. "I have to let him tag along, so think of him as our chaperone. But instead of watching us to make sure we don't do more than hold hands, he'll stay outside, wherever we go."

"Following you? If you've found some answers from the DNA sample, and someone is following you…"

"Yep," I nodded, knowing he'd put it together.

"It's because of me, isn't it? You're in danger, because of _me._ "

My voice trembled when I answered, but I fought to even it out. "Quite a big ego, Mr. Cullen. The universe doesn't revolve around you."

"That's not funny," he said quietly, getting up and going to the kitchen window. I watched his back heave as he breathed heavily, apparently trying to come to terms with it.

"This crime, it should have been about the victim. Lauren Mallory didn't receive justice, that was merely a farce." He turned back around, eyes blazing. "It's been almost eleven years that I've lived with that name in my head, not knowing if I was at fault. I can't remember one detail past dancing with her. I was thinking I was glad I'd finally gotten out of the dorms, decided to live a little. I was always fucking studying." He shook his head, and I thought I saw the glint of tears. I stood, but didn't move any closer.

"You're a victim, too, Edward. You were drugged so you wouldn't remember, so you'd pass out on the couch and be an easy target. You suffered in _prison_ , for heaven's sake!"

"That's too much to process, you know that? He's out there, apparently committing more crimes, and targeting you. All you did was try to help."

"Have you signed up for the counseling the county offers? I hear it really helps. There are support groups, too-"

"Is there a ten step program for the wrongly accused?" he interrupted bitterly.

I huffed. "Are we going to eat, or what?" I demanded. "This is too much heavy discussion on an empty stomach."

Face softening, he laughed, then held out his hand. There was a lot of me that tingled at his touch. I was looking forward to starting something new with him.

* * *

 **One of my pre-readers asked why I referred to it as 'his mother's house', and not his parents' house. Carlisle is still very estranged, and Bella just doesn't think of him when she thinks of Edward and Esme.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Some fun, and meeting the whole Swan family.**

* * *

Edward was funny, he was smart, and my new favorite hobby was to tease him with pop culture references.

"I can't believe you managed to get your degree online but never once heard how much Britney wigged out back in '07. Where were you, Narnia?"

"Wait, neither of us was even alive when those books were published."

I just stared at him.

"What?" He scrubbed the back of his neck.

"Those were made into movies, which apparently you also missed."

"That's something we'll have to do, rent them all and watch them together."

I laughed. "Nobody rents anything anymore, they stream it online."

"I knew that one. I just forgot," he laughed back.

Our lunch was a chance to mostly forget about what had been happening. To go on a date, so to speak, was pleasant. I hadn't really dated anybody in something close to two years.

My escort took us back to Edward's place, and I told him I'd see him soon. He waved happily from the porch, and I went home to a changing of the guard.

Sunday was a tradition in our family. We spent the day at Mom and Dad's, all of us. Rose had avoided last weekend, claiming a headache, but when I asked Emmett how she was feeling, he said there was nothing wrong with her. I knew she was pouting because Emmett was staying with me instead of her, and I did actually feel sorry for her. I knew exactly how it felt to be alone, to be scared at night. I would have spoken to her, apologized for monopolizing his time, but she took the coward's way out.

Not to mention, my father was actually afraid for my safety, and she was perfectly safe ensconced in her gated community with the security cameras and alarm system Emmett had set up.

I was in the kitchen with Mom and Alice when they arrived. I knew how to cook, but Alice was a clueless soul when it came to anything but cereal and toast. She was seated at the counter with a glass of wine, telling us about her week at work. I was putting together the salad and Mom was taking a lasagna out of the oven.

"Hi," Rose said softly as she came tentatively into the kitchen.

I turned. "Hi, Rose." I resisted asking if she was feeling better. I was going to be the better person.

"How was your week, Rose?" Mom asked politely.

"It was fine."

I rolled my eyes as I turned back to my chopping. Why couldn't she just have a conversation?

"So, as I was saying, we had a string of kids with strep. I think it's going around, so if any of you feel a sore throat, go to your doctor right away."

Mom and Alice carried the discussion while I added a hum or an agreement here or there. Rose stood awkwardly off to the side, near the back porch door.

"And this one kid was so introverted, I asked if they wanted to consider evaluating him for autism. They insisted he spoke plenty at home, and was just incredibly shy around strangers, so I dropped it."

My eyes shot to Rose as I placed the tongs in the salad bowl. She never spoke much, begged off outings and get togethers, and often stood away from the group. I suddenly thought I understood her more, and that made me feel like an asshole.

"Rose, could you take this to the table? I'm going to grab the dressings."

She nodded and took the bowl, and I followed her with the bottles. No one agreed on a salad dressing in our family.

"How are you?" I asked with sincerity.

"I'm okay," she answered quietly. All this time I'd written her off as a snotty bitch, when really she was shy and introverted.

"I'm swamped at work, stupid embezzlement cases."

She laughed a little. "You must hate math. I'm, uh, I'm in awe of what you did for that inmate."

"Oh. I've done it before," I said, now the shy one. I didn't want all the praise my family had been showing me.

"I know, but I remember his story. I was in college, and it was a cautionary tale. I always thought the facts didn't add up, though."

"They sure didn't." I shoved my hands in my pockets. "How are you really? I realize I don't know you as well as I should, and I've hogged your husband-"

"Bella. It's fine. It's not like that. I mean, I miss him. But I would never tell him not to help someone, especially his family." I threw my arms around her, startling us both. Then I dropped them just as quickly, both of us laughing.

"What's funny?" Dad asked as he came in the room.

"Nothing, I just assaulted Rose." She giggled.

He raised an eyebrow, then just shook his head. He was followed in by my brothers, and Mom brought the lasagna in soon after.

"There's the traitor!" I called as Jasper seated himself next to his wife. It was a common rib in our family, and he just stuck his tongue out.

"You're not blue either, sis, so shut it."

"True, but I could at least be cast in Law & Order alongside Emmett and Dad."

Alice snorted.

"I'll take Chicago Fire, thank you very much."

"Like they're waiting to ask any one of you," Alice laughed.

Rose joined into the laughter, and I felt some sort of new connection with her.

"Your father told me you still have a lot left to do with the inmate that was released, Bella. What's left?" Mom asked.

"I filed for compensation. After that, I have nothing left." I snuck a look at Dad, but he wasn't looking at me. "Edward, the, uh, the inmate, I suggested he accept the free counseling available. He's living with his parents until he can figure out where to go from here. He said he wants to volunteer at IPNW."

"That's lovely. What a good idea." Renee smiled indulgently. My mom was a June Cleaver type, and now that we were all adults, she did charity work and fundraisers. She was sharp with numbers, which I clearly didn't inherit from her. So I knew she was genuinely happy to hear that the wrongly convicted felon her daughter had freed from prison was going to turn around and get into volunteering to help the next guy.

I looked at her pink silk blouse and delicate jewelry, her perfect chignon, and then looked at my t-shirt and jeans. I loved her, and she was beautiful, but I hoped I never made myself get dressed up for a family dinner.

"So, does this mean you're a rockstar?" asked Jasper, which had Emmett guffawing.

"Yeah, B, can I get your autograph?" he laughed. The two fist bumped while I rolled my eyes at them. I should really quit doing that. I'm supposed to be an adult.

"Leave her alone," Rose admonished her husband.

Everybody sort of stopped talking and laughing for a minute, because Rose had just stood up for me. I gave her a smile in thanks.

At the end of the meal, Alice and I took dish duty so I could talk to her. "Did you know that Rose is just shy, and that we're mean girls?" I whispered.

Her eyes widened. "Knobby-Kneed Four-Eyes and Skeletor? We've never been mean girls, we're the ones mean girls pick on."

"Yeah, well, we were wrong. Accept your punishment."

"And what exactly is my punishment," she asked, eyes narrowed.

"I don't know, what did they do for punishment at your scary Catholic school?" I started lining up the plates like soldiers into the dishwasher.

"A smack to the knuckles with a ruler, but only if you did something awful, like break a commandment, or if you were a boy. The nuns figured all the boys were sinners, but the girls were straight up bitches and got away with it." She put the glasses in the top rack while I washed out the casserole dish.

"Uh, I'm not letting you hit me with a ruler. How about we just invite her the next time we go out?" I suggested.

"That sounds fair to me."

I made a point of hugging Rose when she left. Emmett was going home with her, and I was accepting the no named shadow my dad had picked.

Jasper gave me a little more shit about not being a cop either, and I had to get him back. "Okay, Backdraft, just watch where you're putting your hose or Alice will serve your balls for Sunday dinner."

He groaned. "And I'm definitely leaving now." He gave me a tight hug and headed out the door. Alice hugged me and kissed my cheek, still giggling as she followed him out. I just grinned, satisfied with the day.

* * *

 **(Un)Requited has been nominated in the top ten for November! Please go and vote for Soccerward at twifanfictionrecs.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Edward is back, and we get a few answers.**

* * *

I hadn't told Edward, but I was still pursuing the investigation on the warden at the prison. I couldn't stomach the idea of any other inmate being mistreated at the hands of that evil man. I'd spent time on the phone with Varner, the secretary of corrections, to coordinate my statement with his time-line. He'd spoken with C.O. Lahote about the orders they'd been given from DeLuca; it seemed that while he was heavy handed in general, none of the inmates were treated as poorly as Edward.

My blood boiled as I asked him to look into why they would be targeting him. My skin was hot, my cheeks and ears red to the point of pain. There had to be a reason. When I got the call confirming that it was no coincidence, first I called my father to give him the information. He advised me to keep it quiet, like the rest of the information that swirled constantly in my brain, never settling.

Then I rang the bell at the Cullen household, having already texted Edward asking if I could drop by. My escort was a not very discreet ten feet behind me, speaking into his cuff like a psych patient.

"Bella! I'm so happy to see you again." Esme opened the door wide, Edward standing a little behind her.

"Hello, Edward, Esme." I smiled at them both.

"Hey, Bella," Edward said in that deep, warm voice of his.

Esme led the way to the kitchen, offering me baked goods and lemonade. She reminded me of my mother when we were younger.

"Thanks, but I only have a few minutes." We sat at the table together, Esme taking her son's hand. "I've been speaking with the secretary of corrections, Bruce Varner. He's looking into Aro DeLuca, in particular, and I received some information today." I looked at both of them seriously, meeting their gazes individually and holding them briefly.

"It's serious, isn't it? That's why you didn't tell us over the phone," Esme guessed.

I nodded. "Yes. You can't tell anyone, and I mean anyone. I don't know how deep the connections run with these people right now." I took a careful breath, my skin heating again at the thought of what I had to tell them. "Aro is the maternal uncle of the actual rapist."

Without warning, Edward's fist came down on the table, rattling the salt and pepper shakers and startling his mother and me. "That explains plenty," he hissed.

Esme's hand was over her heart. I understood the need to contain the ferocious throbbing. "What do you mean?" she asked, her soft brow furrowed.

"He told me," he struggled to breathe, to regain some control. "He said I would never get out alive. He said I would die before the 'stupid girl' could ever find a way to release me." Air wheezed through his clenched teeth, and Esme rubbed his back.

"Edward," I called quietly. When his tormented eyes met mine, I covered his balled up hand with my own. I spoke soothingly. "You're here, safe in your own home. Your mother is right there, I'm here, nobody will ever lock you up again." He nodded, visibly relaxing. "Unless you tell someone where the bodies are hidden. I'm lawfully bound to keep your secrets, so it wouldn't be me, but…"

He barked a laugh, all tension forgotten, and I grinned. Esme watched us carefully, a pleased smile lighting up her face.

"I want you to know I'm seeing to it that he's taken care of, but the pace has to be slow to keep it discreet. They have to look into the possible abuse of other inmates, and we don't want to make it solely about you. So just keep it to yourselves, but know I'm doing what I can to stop it." I stood. "I have to get downtown for a meeting. I'm sure I'll see you soon."

"Thank you for everything, Bella. You've been such a godsend," Esme said tearfully as she hugged me.

"I'll… call you. If that's alright?" Edward was so shy on this side of the bars. It was cute.

"Okay," I grinned. He gave me an awkward, one-armed hug, and I left.

My ride took me downtown to Fifth Avenue, and this time I'd called ahead. I entered my father's office after he told me I could, and sat across from him.

"I would like to think you've been listening to my orders, and that you are not alone," he said sternly.

I raised my eyebrow. "Doesn't Starsky check in with you to report my latitude and longitude?"

He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Bella, are you taking this seriously?"

"Of course I am, Daddy, but that doesn't mean I enjoy my detail."

The door behind me crashed open, slamming against the wall. My head whipped around, my adrenaline spiking. My father stood, but remained behind his desk. Two men stood in the doorway, a frantic looking Maggie wringing her hands behind them.

"I'm so sorry, Commissioner, they barged in," she whimpered.

"You're fine, Maggie. Is Peter around?" he answered her in a mild tone, but the skin around his eyes was tight, pulling into wrinkles.

"I'll fetch him, sir," was her reply before she scurried away.

Peter was his First Deputy, so I knew he was not taking this lightly. The two men stood there, glowering. Finally, one stepped forward. Refusing to crane my neck, I rose and stood next to the desk.

"What is your purpose here, gentlemen? Have I been so overbooked that you could not get an appointment?"

"I'm Laurent Fisher, attorney for Michael Newton. We're here to inform you that you must cease your investigations into my client's life and place of employment."

I spotted Pete as he came in behind the men, through the private entrance to the office. He nodded at me in acknowledgement.

"I don't know who, or what, you could be referring to. I don't personally conduct investigations. I assure you, if someone from this building is looking into your client, it's justifiable."

"My client hasn't committed a crime, and even if he had, the statute would have expired. Therefore, any investigation into my client is simply called harassment." The attorney looked smug, his olive skin glowing with sweat as he adjusted his paisley tie.

"So, you're admitting that he perpetrated a crime, but I'm too late to do anything about it?" Charlie asked in a severe voice.

"I'm not admitting anything, I'm just reminding you of the facts. Detective Newton is to be left alone by you and anyone in your department."

The other man, who must have been Newton, smiled at me, an ugly sneer that made me want to clutch my stomach.

"If he's a detective, then he is my employee, and therefore my business. You can leave now," Charlie dismissed them, sitting back down and addressing me. "You have the next case to discuss?"

I moved on numb legs to the chair I'd been in before, flipping through the file on the desk. It wasn't anything of mine, but I was helping him keep up pretenses. I heard a man behind me start to complain, but Pete ushered them into the hallway and closed the door behind himself.

I realized I was shaking as I pictured Detective Newton. Brown hair, brown eyes, average height. It was the look in his eyes that worried me the most. Recognition of who I am, dismissal of the crime itself because he knew he couldn't be punished. As the implications came crashing down on me, I heard a rushing noise, felt hands touching me.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed.

"Isabella, it's your father! Push your head between your knees, you're panicking." He pushed on the back of my head until I complied. My breath was coming in quick pants and I was getting dizzy. I forced myself to breathe deeply through my nose, trying to stop the sudden onslaught of terror.

"That's him, Daddy, that's him," I whined, my voice muffled in my lap and thick with tears. "That's the rapist, the one who's after me." I wrapped my arms around my knees, hugging them to me. I felt his hands as he tried to soothe me, patting and rubbing.

"That's him, yes. He won't touch you, Bella, I swear it. Relax and breathe."

I heard the door open and I screeched, covering my ears with my hands. Daddy pried my hand away and spoke low in my ear. "It's only Peter and Ben, your detail. I wanted to make sure he saw him, got a good look at the guy. Relax, you're safe. You're safe," he murmured.

"Ms. Swan, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Please don't worry." I heard the voice of Ben, the cop that had been shadowing me during the daytime. The logical part of my brain kicked in, and I tried to process the fact that I was having a meltdown in my father's office.

I lifted my head, embarrassed by my display of panic. I had to shove my hair out of my face and smooth it down, then I wiped under my eyes in case I'd smeared my makeup. "S-sorry, everybody. He just- he's dead inside. I know he recognized me." I blew out a shaky breath.

Ben spoke up again. "Let me take you home, Ms. Swan."

I nodded. "Yes, thank you." I thought better of it. "Actually, can you take me back to the house we were at earlier?"

* * *

 **Coming face to face with the monster that's after you? Not fun. On the plus side, she's running to Edward.**


	13. Chapter 13

"I fully realize I'm under too much stress, and that's the reason I had a panic attack. But to see Newton standing there, as if he owned the whole world and had nothing to hide, was more difficult than I would've thought. He's a cocky son of a bitch."

I paced Edward's small garage apartment, my surroundings not really sinking in. It was tight, a one room space with a bathroom. I walked in front of the sofa, through the area considered a kitchen, and back.

"It's understandable, Bella. He's a criminal, you know what he did because you have the proof. Added to the fact that you and your father are positive he's the one following you."

I stopped and looked at him. "Are you worried about him? Because I don't want you to be. There's plenty for you to focus on instead of that." I frowned, wondering if I was adding to his plate by venting to him about this.

He came over to where I was pacing, stopping in front of me so that I had to quit my nervous movements. His hair was growing longer now, waving at the ends as it shined in copper highlights under the lamp. I'd been wrong, it would never have been blonde, even in the sunlight. It looked like it would be soft, and I suddenly decided to run my hands through the strands. They were as silky as I'd imagined, and the look on his face was startled.

"I'm sorry," I apologized quietly, yet I didn't stop running my hands through his thick hair.

He dipped his head, and my body pulsed with the need for him to kiss me. Watching his eyes as they shifted from mine to my lips, I knew he would, and the anticipation made my breathing erratic.

"Bella," he whispered, his breath fanning my lips. "I'm going to kiss you now."

His deep voice sent shivers down my spine, and my thighs clenched. "Yes, please."

His lips swept mine, slow brushes as they passed back and forth. He claimed first my top lip, and then my bottom before his tongue touched the seam of my mouth, and I opened for him. When his tongue met mine, the room seemed filled with static, the hairs on my arms rising. His hands went to my hair, tilting our heads for the best angle. I gripped frantically at the hair at the back of his head, afraid he would disappear if I let go.

Edward pulled away a fraction, his forehead bumping into mine. "I didn't even ask if you had a boyfriend."

A small laugh escaped me, a burst of restless air. "I don't. Maybe before we had lunch would have been a good time to ask?"

He chuckled, then kissed my face; my cheek, my jaw, my chin. His lips were supple- warm and soft and full. "What are we doing?"

"What do you mean?" I said breathlessly. "I thought we were kissing."

"Yes," he agreed, his mouth touching mine briefly. "We're doing that, but are we trying to… have a relationship? Are we going to start dating?"

I pulled away so I could see his eyes. His entire thought process showed in those eyes. Uncertainty, bashfulness, fear. "You have nothing to be afraid of, Edward," I said softly, brushing a lock of hair off his forehead. "We can go at whatever pace you like."

"Shouldn't that be my line?" he said, huffing out a breath.

"If we were a traditional pair, sure. But I'm okay with whatever you want, as long as it doesn't involve your bed just yet."

He stepped away from me abruptly, and I felt the loss of his warmth keenly. "I don't want that, you know that, don't you? This is not for _that_ ," he stated forcefully.

"Slow down. I know that you're not trying to rush me into bed, that was a poor choice of words. I don't think you're looking to use me to sate your suppressed appetite."

He threw his hands up in the air. "You're amazing, do you know that? You have an amazing outlook on things, on the world in general. You have a huge spirit that's open to everyone. I don't think I'll ever be half the human being that you are. I'm scared of everything, Bella." He put a hand up when I started to interrupt. "I'm scared that I'm closed off, that I've lost my ability to trust in people. I don't know how to have a healthy relationship, because I've never had one."

"Edward, stop. Don't list your negative qualities to your potential new girlfriend."

He smiled at me, then shook his head. "Let's sit, okay?"

We sat on his couch, and he turned to face me. "Whatever it is, we can work through it," I encouraged.

"My relationship with my dad is screwed, he's almost never home. I simply can't forgive him for the way he treated Mom. I can get over him thinking I was guilty; I even thought it of myself. But he didn't support his wife. The one person he should have stood by no matter what."

"Edward, the one person he should have stood by was _you_!"

"Maybe. Either way, I'm not ready to forgive him. My mother is only concerned with fulfilling my every wish, which I can of course understand. But in the long term, that can't last as a healthy dynamic." He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "And then the last thing."

"What thing?" I asked. He looked so tense with his shoulders bunched up.

"I've honestly never had a girlfriend. I dated a few times, but nothing serious. I was trying to please Dad, so I got on the track to premed in high school, and in college I knew I had to work hard or I wouldn't pass my classes. A social life was not on the agenda."

"You _never_ had a girlfriend? You what, just left a trail of broken hearts wherever you went?" I couldn't imagine that the girls didn't find him irresistible.

"I _never_ had a girlfriend." His gaze was serious, timid.

"I get what you're saying, honey, I really do. I'm sorry that it turned out that way for you. It doesn't change anything, unless it means you want to move slower."

"This is what I mean! You are nothing short of an angel. I can tell you anything, and it doesn't faze you."

"Except for the dead body principle. I don't want to know how many murders you've committed," I joked.

"When would I have had time for that? I would've had a girlfriend before I would've gone on a killing spree."

"Good, good, stick with the plea of ignorance." I bobbed my head as he grinned at me.

"You're very good at bringing levity to a serious situation. It's one of the qualities I like the most about you." He leaned forward, shifting so that he could frame my too-hot face in his hands.

"Tell me more," I whispered as his mouth descended toward me.

"You're altruistic." He peppered my jaw with kisses.

"I'm not. I'm selfish." My eyes rolled back in my head as his tongue explored my throat.

"No," was his simple response.

"I just discovered I'm a mean girl to my sister-in-law."

"If you've just discovered it, it couldn't have been on purpose," he pointed out.

"You have me there." His hands roamed my back, pressing my body tighter to his. My heart was pounding, and I imagined his was too.

"Less talking, Bella," he said, crushing his mouth to mine.

* * *

 **Are we all on the same page as Edward?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Let's see what our lovebirds are up to.**

* * *

I had to figure out a way to lessen my load. I was constantly running back and forth between the office's law library and my desk, I had court three times this week, and a depo on Thursday. I was supposed to meet with my father Wednesday, but I was thinking he was going to have to be the one to get cut. I simply didn't have time.

What I did make time for was going to the university to introduce Edward to Lara. He was excited to be doing something useful and she was eager to meet him. I had Ben drive me over there, as he did for all of my meetings that were too far to walk. He stayed outside the building in an attempt to let me look like a normal woman going about her day, but I knew he was there. Reporting my every move to Dad.

Edward met me by the bank of elevators, and though he didn't kiss me in public, he did take my hand and raise it to his lips. It was such an old fashioned gesture that my heart melted more than a tiny bit. He grinned, and I grinned back as the elevator dinged. The cars were mirrored, and I found myself lost in a fantasy as he stood across from me, watching me. I wondered what we would look like if he pushed me against the mirrored wall and did naughty things to me.

I let out a shaky sigh as the doors slid open, then walked out first at his gesture for me to precede him. The office of Lara Zarowsky was dead ahead, the glass walls making it so I could see her as she caught my eye and stood. She reached the door first and opened it for us.

"You must be Edward," she said kindly as she shook his hand. "Bella has talked about you, as have Leah and Liam. We are so pleased here at the Innocence Project that we could help to get you released. It's always such an honor to meet someone that we were able to get a reversal for. You just never know which way a case is going to turn out, and it's a morale boost for the staff when it goes right."

"It reminds us of why we're here in the first place," I piped up.

Edward was blushing to the tips of his ears, and I thought he was completely endearing. "I know that thank you is not really enough; you gave me my life back. I just want to help someone else experience the miracle of feeling like they have a chance to start over, hopefully without the stigma that comes with simply serving your time. I know I'm grateful to not have to register as a sex offender."

"That's really good to hear. We have volunteers in many positions, from researchers to file clerks, to errand runners. From what I hear, you obtained a business degree online. I would love to place you as a researcher, and if you do well, we might be able to hire you on as a full time employee. We only have a small handful of paid positions, but I think if you're good at the job, you'll be a candidate for permanency."

His eyebrows shot into his hairline. "I would be incredibly honored if that was the case, Ms. Zarowsky. Truly honored."

She smiled and waved away the compliment. "That really is what we're here for, so don't hesitate if you have remaining questions about yourself and your case. I know Bella has filed for compensation, but there are a few other services as well, such as counseling. It can be tough to find your way on this side of the bars, and we understand that."

"I have taken that advice from Bella, and I started therapy yesterday. I appreciate the offer, very much so."

Lara turned to me. "If you could show him where the researchers work, I would love that. I have a meeting to get to."

"Of course. Thank you again, Lara." She walked away, and Edward looked to me.

"She wouldn't offer me a job out of a sense of obligation, would she?"

The lines between his eyes were quite cute. I wanted to smooth them with my fingers, but I refrained. "Of course not. She's looked at your resume and knows exactly how smart you are, what your grades were ten years ago and when you earned your degree online." He looked at me doubtfully, the line increasing as his frown deepened. "Admit it, you deserve it."

Now he grinned, a boyish looking smug smile. "If she gives me the position, it will be because I deserve it based on my accomplishments."

"There you go."

I showed him the workspace, a handful of desks pushed together in the middle of the open space, and he met some of the other volunteers as they hunched over their work.

"I really do have to get back to my office. Are you good from here?"

"I borrowed my mother's car, so I'm good. Are you? Do you have a person?"

"A person?" I laughed. "Ben is my protective detail during most days. He's outside." I thought about the side of Edward that was protective of me, and I liked it.

We walked out together, and Edward greeted Ben as he came up to me. He gave me an awkward handshake before loping away towards the parking lot. I took a moment to admire his long legs and lean form and then resolutely turned toward Ben and the waiting car.

My days may have been blurring together, but I wouldn't miss Sunday dinner for anything. Jasper greeted me at the door, and I was struck by how much he took after our mother. They had the same sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, while I took after Dad with his thick hair and dark eyes.

As Emmett rounded the corner, I stifled a giggle. His large form took after our mom's brother, who was a pro football player in the seventies. Without that piece of information, strangers often would ask if he was adopted. Jasper would tease him off and on as the adopted outsider, but Emmett would say that at least he was wanted, while Jasper was an accident.

"Boys, how have you been?" I asked as we sat down in the living room.

"I just saw you Friday night, sis. Nothing much happened yesterday worth noting."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, Jasper, how are you? Alice says you had a busy week."

He smiled my way as the football game went to a commercial. "More than just kittens up trees if that's what you mean. There was a warehouse fire Wednesday that kept me away overnight. It was large enough that it took three companies to put it out."

"Alice was on the phone with me much of the time you were gone. I'm just glad you were safe." It was hard on the family members of those working in positions of danger, to be left behind to pray that their loved one would come home safe at the end of the day. We grew up around it our whole lives, with every member of Dad's side of the family being in law enforcement. Jasper had been the only one to choose the fire department, something we loved to rib him for.

"Bella, do you have a minute?"

I turned my head to see Charlie in the doorway. "Yeah, Dad."

When I followed him into his office, he closed the door behind us before speaking. "I'm adding a third man to your detail. We need to keep someone around the clock, and it's just too much for only two people."

"I can understand that," I answered as I leaned back against his desk.

"He'll be at your door tomorrow morning, and Emmett will brief him before he escorts you to work. He will stay outside your office building unless you need to leave, then I expect you to call him before doing so. He will be relieved by Ben at four, who will stay outside your apartment door until Emmett relieves him at midnight."

"Ah, is he good with coming in for the late night shift?" I would miss having my brother's company at dinner.

"Honestly, that was so I could give Rose her husband back in the evenings. It seemed fair, considering that this is looking to be long term."

I closed my eyes. "Long term? How long are we talking here, Dad?"

I felt his hand on my shoulder and opened my eyes. "Until I can figure out how deep this runs, and put those responsible in jail where they belong."

I looked into eyes that matched my own. "He has to be put away. I'll do whatever I can to stay out of the way and let you do that."

He kissed my forehead. "That's my girl. Jake will be there at seven."

* * *

 **So, before you bring out the pitchforks, Jake is not at all going to be the third wheel. He's just going to be a useful tool throughout the story.**


	15. Chapter 15

**I think I need to clear up my comment about Jacob. While he won't be participating in a love triangle, that doesn't mean he'll be a likeable character. I actually don't hate Jake in the Saga like some people do, but I haven't yet found a place for him to be a nice guy in one of my stories.**

 **Now, on to Charlie.**

* * *

 **CPOV**

I was so close to proving obstruction of justice, which not only carried a longer statute, but was considered a new act each and every time Edward appealed and was denied. New evidence was paramount in his case, and was sitting there in the old file box all along. Not coming forward when you have first hand knowledge is equal to obstruction. I was also looking into tampering with evidence and leading a witness, as well as planting a relative into a correctional institution to control the only person who could smash the entire case wide open.

I would settle for littering if I had to, but that didn't carry a prison sentence. I needed to put him away, for Lauren, for Edward, for my daughter. For the entire city of Seattle, that looked to those with a badge as authority to trust with their well being. I would not stand for having a monster on my police force.

I could see the look in my daughter's eyes as she spoke of Edward. She was falling for him, and as a father I was worried that she had a need to fix the broken boy he'd been. I worried that he was only interested in her because he wanted to repay her for getting him his life back. I had no doubt that he could be an upstanding citizen, I just didn't know what issues he may have buried deep down inside of him; they could come spilling out all over Bella. She shouldn't have to endure that.

When my intel informed me of Newton's whereabouts, I had Peter accompany me on a stroll through downtown. I spotted him exiting the bar and fell in step alongside him.

"I want to make sure you and I are on the same page," I said without preamble.

He looked over at me, recognition and annoyance on his hard face. "What page would that be, _Commissioner_?"

"That this entire city is watching you. That every officer, meter maid, and certainly my personal aides, want to make sure you are good and safe."

"That's illegal. You can't harass me-"

"Not harassment," I interrupted mildly. "As your superior, I have the authority to keep my eye on you." We both stopped walking, and he flicked a nervous glance at Pete. " _Wherever_ you go, we have your back."

I turned and walked away with my deputy chief, not sparing a backwards look at the man that I was determined would be arrested by the end of the month.

 **BPOV**

I'd agreed to meet Edward for drinks at a restaurant in the city. His parents' house was in the suburbs, but he insisted he would do the driving and come to me. I think he had a not so secret need to get out of the house and be independent.

With Ben by my side, I entered the quiet Mexican restaurant and my eyes roamed the bar for Edward. He stood when he spotted me, his coppery hair glinting under the soft lighting.

With Edward standing in front of me, I scarcely acknowledged Ben as he muttered that he would sit at the other end of the bar. Tall, wearing a black button down with the sleeves rolled up, his bright eyes seared into my own. He leaned down to brush his lips against my cheek, smelling musky and delicious.

I swallowed dryly before greeting him; apparently the only moisture to be found was currently pooling between my thighs.

"You look lovely, Bella."

Yeah, that smooth voice was going to do me in.

I cleared my throat. "Thank you. You look very nice in that shirt." He blushed as we sat in a booth, and I smiled at him.

"Better than the denim button down I owned for ten years, no?" He returned my smile wholeheartedly.

"Indeed." I placed my drink order with the waitress while Edward ordered an appetizer.

"Would you mind staying for dinner? I forgot to eat lunch today." He gave me an endearing puppy dog look, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Of course, what girl would give that up for a nuked meal alone?" I fidgeted with my napkin. "What have you been up to that had you skipping a meal?"

"I'm currently spending three days a week at IP, so I went apartment hunting today."

He had such a sour look on his face that I tried to reassure him. "We talked about the job starting out as part time, remember?"

Edward nodded. "That's not the problem." He looked at his hands, long fingers folded together on the table top. "There was this woman today. She had a one bedroom near the back of her rental properties. She was interested in renting to me until I showed her my paperwork."

I sighed heavily, worried for him. He had a stack of paperwork signed and notarized, stating that he'd had a reversal of his verdict. It was tantamount to being innocent, so she had no legitimate reason for turning him away, other than the fact that she was obviously being discriminatory.

"Do you need me to file a complaint against her? I'll be happy to."

"No, I can't have you fighting my battles for me my whole life. I'll move on and find something else." It wasn't said unkindly, yet I felt stung.

"Is that what you think? That I emasculate you because I can fix some things through the court system? If you were a doctor, would I be pissed because you have the ability to give me a prescription when I'm sick?"

"Well, we won't ever know, will we?" There was venom this time, in his voice and his demeanor as he sat back away from me.

"That's not fair, not to me or to yourself." I stared Edward down, watching as he stared back for several seconds, his shoulders stiff as he crossed his arms over his chest. I saw in his eyes the moment he relented; there was a softening in his gaze, the color lightening from the intense dark green it had been.

"I apologize, Bella. It was rude of me, but it's hard. I can't help but think how it would be if I'd finished med school and become a doctor. I wouldn't be living with my parents and borrowing their car, and I wouldn't be _begging_ anyone to rent a tiny apartment to me, the ex con."

He leaned his elbows onto the table, scrubbing his fingertips over his eyelids. "My therapist and I are working on my issues of anger with the system that you hold so dear. I know that law, and of course order," he smirked, "are important to you, and I respect that. It did get me released in the long run." He shook his head ruefully. "The very long run."

"You can always be honest with me, even if you think it might hurt my feelings. I can handle it, I have two big brothers." I smiled gently at him. "I understand your feelings of frustration, don't ever think I don't."

"I don't want to disrespect you, I just don't think my girlfriend jumping in to save the day because someone declined to rent to me is a good idea."

My cheeks felt hot at him calling me his girlfriend. "How about your lawyer filing charges of discrimination with the housing authority?"

"Nope. I'll admit that it bothered me at the time, but I'm over it now."

We stopped talking when the waitress came with the nachos Edward had ordered, and I laughed when he dug in. "Save some for me," I joked.

He blushed again, and I laughed harder. "Do you want some?" he said around a mouthful of cheese.

I couldn't speak, I was laughing so hard. I shook my head vigorously, gulping my water. "You look like you're really enjoying them."

"There's just some things I missed, so much." He moaned as he took another bite, and all laughter died in my throat. I took in the flushed face, the bright eyes shining with excitement, his long fingers as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. The mouth was another story altogether. I had more than once pictured his lips and tongue on various part of my body. I shifted, squirming in my seat. My skirt rode up my thighs as I moved, and I tugged it back down to my knees. I took a deep breath and focused back on the menu.

"You eat as much as you want, I'm going to order a normal dinner."

He grinned and grabbed my hand on top of the table. "Thank you for being so supportive and understanding of me."

"Always." I smiled at him as I put aside any lustful feelings to just enjoy dinner with my new boyfriend.

* * *

 **I've had the honor of making it to the 2nd round of the TFFA awards. If you feel so inclined, please vote for me in the favorite newbie category. My other story, Jack & Crush, is also up for drop everything fic. Your support means the world to me! **


	16. Chapter 16

Emmett and I were running an errand together, so we'd left Detective Black cooling his heels at my office. He didn't seem thrilled; he was an Indiana Jones type that needed to be experiencing action at all times.

Doing my best not to worry about him, I focused on the white haired woman waiting for us in front of the tiny cottages dotted around in a semi circle.

"Mr. and Mrs. Swan, it's lovely to meet you. Let me show you the rental."

She unlocked the door of one of the buildings in the back, and Emmett and I walked around, making noises about closet space and the dishwasher.

"So, what do you think?" she asked hopefully.

I let Emmett do the talking. After all, my role was to be the quiet wife.

"Ms. Marshall, the wife and I, we just want to make sure there are no…"

"Unsavories," I supplied. Meekly, of course.

"That's a good term for it," Emmett agreed, beaming at me before returning his attention to the landlady. "Do you know what we mean?" He leaned in, giving her his most charming smile.

The older lady leaned in too, her wiry hair swinging forward as she gave us a conspiratorial look. "Just between the three of us, I don't like to rent to the certain type of person that will drive away, or even frighten, upstanding citizens such as yourselves."

"Right, right," Emmett agreed. "If I'm working late, I need to know that my wife won't be bothered, isn't that right, Bella?"

I nodded vehemently, trying to look nervous.

"I tend to find fault with the applications of such undesirables as those of color, or them gays, or felons. There's always something I can find that just isn't suited for this community."

"That's what I was hoping you'd say, Ms. Marshall." Emmett reached behind him and under his blazer, where he kept his handcuffs at the waistband. "Katherine Marshall, you're under arrest for violating the Fair Housing Act, by refusing to rent to an individual with a conviction reversal, and by admitting to an officer of the law that you deny tenancy to those protected under said law."

The lady looked stunned, more so when a squad car came around the corner and Emmett read her the Revised Miranda. He looked smug as he came back to where I was waiting for him.

"You know that won't stick, don't you?" I asked. Usually a fine was in order, since Edward wasn't interested in suing.

"Maybe not, but I can at least make her day suck like she made Edward's day suck."

"I admit, it was a brilliant idea, which it pains me to say due to your already giant ego." At least this way, Edward's girlfriend wasn't the one defending him.

"I do not have a giant ego, little sis, I just know how good I am." He and I headed to his vehicle as we spoke.

"Not compared to my new detail, Jake. Talk about inflation. He was not at all happy to be left behind while we came here."

"Did you know he had to be warned not to hit on you?" He snorted, and I stopped in my tracks.

"Are you serious?" He tugged on my hand and I matched his pace again.

"Yeah, I'm serious. He wanted your 'digits', he said. He didn't know you're my sister when he asked, and he was shocked when I suggested he shouldn't flirt with his charge. It was priceless when I added in our father as the pièce de résistance."

I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes. "He's such an arrogant asshole. I'm glad Cheney is the evening shift. I couldn't let him hang out in the hallway, so I let him come inside. I genuinely admire him, and I'm thinking of introducing him to my para."

"The cutie with the black hair and glasses?" he asked as we drove away. He continued at my nod, "I think you should. She's freakin' smart, and so is Ben."

He and I chatted on the way back to the office, where he had to hand me off to Detective Black.

"Ah, there she is. Good to see you, Bella. That skirt really flatters your legs." He was leaning against his company car, wearing sunglasses and looking me up and down over the top. I spoke up before my brother could even get his mouth open.

"First off, it's Ms. Swan to you. Second, you're on duty. Stop trying to flirt with me, because you're awful at it, and I'm in a relationship."

I continued past him to the door, and heard Emmett behind me. "What she said."

My brother caught up to me as I was about to go inside. "Just remember, Ben comes on at four. I'll see you when you get up in the morning."

We exchanged hugs and I headed back to work. I hoped Dad could get this guy soon, because I was about ready to swap Jake for Mike.

The rest of my day flew by, as was normal for me. The busier I was, the more work seemed to appear. I spent a few moments texting with Jasper, who'd asked about the outcome of my sojourn with our brother. He sent me several laughing emojis, so I figured I had both boys on Edward's side. I wanted to bring him home for Sunday dinner soon, but I wasn't sure how Edward would feel about it.

Ben drove me home, and I invited him inside as I had started doing since the switch up. I didn't feel right making him stand out in the hallway, and I really didn't want the neighbors wondering why Mission Impossible was playing out in their apartment building. I called for Chinese delivery, because I felt awkward cooking for this guy I hardly knew. He was trustworthy as far as my father's office was concerned, so I never worried about my safety. I knew he wasn't looking to hook up like Black was, so that didn't worry me either. This time, I went out on that shaky limb and talked about my paralegal, Angela. She was smart and pretty and single, and based on some things he'd told me, they had movies in common at least. He thought it sounded like a good idea.

Ben made himself comfortable on my couch while I finished up clearing out my emails. Emmett would be relieving him in about an hour, and I finally headed to bed. There was no way anything could happen in that time if he dozed off, but I was pretty sure he stayed awake. Emmett slept on my couch; I thought it would be cruel to insist he stay awake for my sake. No one was going to make it inside and past him.

I don't think I'd been asleep for very long before I felt a hand on my shoulder, gently shaking me.

"Bella," came the deep, familiar voice.

"Em?" I mumbled.

"Yeah, Bella, it's me. I need you to get up," he urged.

"What?" I blinked a few times, trying to see his face in the darkness of my room.

"I need you, it's important. Come on, I have your robe. Ben is still here."

I let him help me into my robe, pulling the plush lapels closer to me as I shivered. I was confused, but trying to work my way out of the fog caused by sleeping for less than an hour.

Only one lamp and the stove light were on, which I was grateful for as I entered the living room. There were papers spread across my table along with an evidence box.

"Ms. Swan, I'm so sorry to wake you," Ben said apologetically.

"It must be important, so it's fine." I looked to my brother. "Is it big enough to make coffee?"

"It's big, B. I'll do that, Ben can fill you in."

I sat next to Ben at the dining table as Emmett disappeared into the kitchen. I could soon smell the deep, warm notes of brewing coffee. I turned my attention to Detective Cheney as he picked up a DD-5 form.

"A woman was brought in to the hospital after she called for an ambulance in a panic. The officer that took the statement, if you can call it that, gathered the evidence and brought it to Emmett's attention. The woman insisted it was just rough sex and that she didn't want to press charges."

He paused as Emmett came back with coffee mugs.

"So, Collins comes to me and says, the woman was clearly raped and then sodomized with an unknown object. She's terrified, but wants nobody called, no report filed. She called 911 because she was bleeding profusely."

I put up a hand, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths. "Just give me a sec, okay?"

The only sound in the room was our breathing and the spoon in Emmett's mug as he swirled it around. When I thought I had control over my emotions, I opened my eyes again. Ben picked the story back up.

"Your brother went to the hospital to speak to her personally. After some cajoling, she admitted that she knew who it was but that he'd threatened her little boy."

"She's not talking, B. She let slip that he was with the police department, and that he doesn't have a street uniform."

"The rape kit?"

"Nothing. Not a hair, not a tiny speck of spittle, and definitely no sperm."

"Are you expecting me to prosecute a ghost without a witness?" I asked in exasperation. Hey, it's the middle of the night and I'm no angel.

"Of course not, Ms. Swan." I could tell Ben was trying to placate me.

"Just call me Bella, okay?" I said in a nicer tone, pulling my fleece robe tighter again.

"Okay. Bella, we need you to speak to the victim. See if she'll tell you for sure that it's who we think it is. Convince her to identify him in a lineup, at least. A written statement. Anything."

"I know in my gut it's him, Bella," Emmett said forcefully. "We're so close to nailing him."

I sighed, rubbing my tired eyes. "Show me what you've got."

* * *

 **Thoughts about Jake or the new victim?**


	17. Chapter 17

I couldn't remember exactly the last time I pulled an all nighter, but I came pretty close back at the beginning of Edward's case. I'm sure there was more than one while I was cramming for the board exam, too. There wasn't enough coffee in the world for this day, but I had to make it work. I had to see the victim at the hospital, Carmen Denali, and convince her to help us. If I was successful in getting her to agree to speak to me or the cops, it was strictly as a favor to the department. It wasn't the type of thing I did; I wasn't with the DA.

I had to suffer through Detective Black's ego while he drove me to the hospital. He talked constantly, about himself, about his career in the SPD, his uncle the judge, and even about how cool it was that my father hand picked him to keep an eye on his only daughter.

Finally, I couldn't take one more second of his boastful chatter. "I'm on my way to talk to a _rape_ victim. One that was sodomized with an inanimate object so violently that she had a perforated colon. She could have bled out. What's worse, and it sucks to say there _is_ something worse, is that the rapist is one of you. Someone sworn to uphold the law and protect the citizens of this city. _Not_ rape them and threaten their four year old child, terrorizing her so much that she's clammed up. So please, for God's sake, _shut the fuck up_."

The only sound was the car's engine as we came to a stop in front of the hospital entrance. I was breathing heavily in my indignation, and I was staring straight ahead with my fists clenched in my lap. I wanted to punch him, I was so pissed.

I saw out of my peripheral as he turned toward me, but I refused to acknowledge him. "I think I love you," he said in an awed tone.

Gasping, I turned to look at his smug face, my hands balling into tighter, painful fists. _Unbelievable_. "The only reason your nose isn't bleeding copiously right now is that I know it's illegal to strike a police officer." I shoved the door open roughly and climbed out, my heels clicking on the linoleum as I strode angrily through the doors and toward the elevators.

Unfortunately, he had to follow me. I yanked my phone out of my purse, texting my father that he needed to find a replacement for Black or suffer the embarrassment of me filing a sexual harassment suit against one of his men, and the nephew of my favorite judge. The response came before I even stepped out of the elevator on the victim's floor. He would take care of it immediately.

I nodded to the uniform on duty outside the room of Carmen Denali. She was lying asleep, her face turned mostly away from the door. Her left eye was purple, and the arm that was lying on top of the blanket was in a brace. Her machines beeped steadily, and I squinted at the bag of IV fluids. Sodium chloride, antibiotics, and an injection of pain reliever that had emptied into the IV line.

I sat carefully in the chair nearest the bed, trying to be quiet. I pulled my notepad out of my purse and wrote down my initial impressions. Physically, she'd recover. But emotionally, I had no idea if she was strong enough. My thoughts drifted to Lauren Mallory and the thought that Newton's sadistic violence had escalated. I wondered how many women he'd silenced in the last ten years, using his badge as a weapon of fear instead of one of courage and sacrifice.

When I thought of Dad and Emmett, and other members of this family that considered their job as a calling, I grew furious. They sacrificed so much, including with loved ones, their safety, and sometimes their very lives. And this scum used his position to commit violent crimes and cover them up.

"Who are you?" a soft voice croaked from my right.

I turned my attention to the fragile looking woman in the bed. "Ms. Denali, my name is Isabella Swan. I'm an attorney, and I was hoping to have a moment to speak with you."

"I have nothing to say." She closed her tired eyes again, turning further away from me.

 _Like you're the first person to ever say that to me_. "That's fine. I'll talk." I shifted to face her bed fully. "Ten years ago, there was a party at a frat house at the University of Washington. Two women were drugged, and one was raped while she was unconscious. There was also a young med student there at the party, who was woken up by the cops in the middle of the night. He was accused of raping and drugging the girl, and spent ten years in federal prison. He thought that maybe he had done it. He thought to himself, maybe he was so blacked out that he committed a heinous crime without any memory of it. He was recently granted a reversal and released from prison after his case was reviewed. He was drugged. He was unconscious. There were three victims that night; one girl was drugged, one girl was drugged and raped, and one boy was drugged and set up for the crime."

"What does that have to do with me?" she asked angrily, her bruised eyes glaring at me full on.

I placed a gentle hand over hers. "The same person that was responsible for those crimes, is also responsible for what happened to you."

Her head jerked, her eyes filled with a familiar, haunted look. "I don't understand."

"The man that brutalized you got his start drugging and raping college girls. He's never paid, because he manipulated the evidence back then. I have a feeling this is not the first recurrence of these actions where he attacks women while he's on shift. He threatens women not to tell, I'm sure of it."

"Why is he able to do all of this? Why hasn't anyone arrested him?" Her voice rose in agitation, her hands gripping the blanket tightly. She grunted and relaxed the hand encased in the brace.

"Because nobody has ever come forward. His threats have always worked. My brother is a detective, he's looking for unsolved sexual assaults that are similar to yours. Interviewing women admitted to the hospital that are still too scared to say what happened."

Tears streaked down her face, and I felt awful that I was even the tiniest bit responsible for them. But I needed her help.

"I can't help you." She shook her head. "I can't. My son. My _son_!" She started to sob, and I wanted to hold her to me, but I didn't want to scare her.

"If you tell me who did this, he'll be arrested. He won't be able to touch you or your son. Right now, there's a deputy outside your door and one outside your house. My brother is determined to put this man away and to keep you safe." I stroked a finger over her cheek, then pulled away when she flinched. "If I could, I'd personally lock him up without needing your statement. I'd put him in prison for all the things he did ten years ago, but the proof just isn't there. I need your help to put this man away, to make sure he isn't able to hurt anyone else, ever again."

We stayed silent for another five minutes before she hiccuped and said, "What do you need to know?"

* * *

 **I'm sure you're all missing Edward by now, but I'm gonna make it up to you. Big time.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Frank Farmer is Kevin Costner's character in The Bodyguard. Just so you understand the reference.**

* * *

I spent Saturday at the office, which was quite unfortunate. At least the security detail during the weekend did not include Jacob Black. So far Charlie hadn't been able to replace him, which was such a disappointment. The building where my office was located had a security guard, so the officer on my detail stayed outside in the car, with a clear line of sight to the door. Brady was the name of the young guy on duty until four, when I was determined to leave and spend an entire evening with Edward. I'd invited him to my place for the first time, and I was nervous and excited and scared to death.

I was able to catch up on almost all of my work for the week before I gave it up. Brady and Randall were waiting for me just outside the front doors, and Brady went back to the station to write up his report for the day. I could only guess that 'sat in car bored out of my skull' was not what he was supposed to write. Randall was a decent guy, but he was very stiff and not what I would call friendly. I asked him to drive me to the grocery, and he insisted on coming in with me. Good thing the city was big enough that there really wasn't too much gossip, or the biddies would swear I was sleeping around.

I pushed the cart around the produce aisles, trying to make small talk with the man that shadowed me like the secret service with a president. He wouldn't engage. When I spotted Liam down the cereal aisle and he came up to us, Randall put up a hand to stop him.

"Liam! Nice to see you," I said, as Randall put his hand on Liam's arm and practically patted him down.

"Uh, yeah." He looked at me, then Frank Farmer.

"Christ, stand down, Randall. He's a friend with the IP." I took Liam's arm myself and steered him halfway down the aisle, while Randall frowned after us.

"They're still following you around?" Liam questioned.

"Yeah, and he makes a terrible Kevin Costner. Listen, I got a victim statement yesterday, she's going to ID our guy."

"Really?" He grimaced. "He's still active, that hurts to think about."

I nodded. "I know. No telling how many he's done this to over the years. Dad is going to pull him in Monday morning under other pretenses, then get him in a room with a two way. The victim's terrified, he threatened her child."

"Well, hell. I'll keep it to myself."

"Do that, but hey, you can tell Leah privately."

"I will. Good job, Bella."

I smiled and we said our goodbyes. I went back to the cart and addressed Lurch. "Look, I know you're only the weekend second shift, but this is my life, and I'm trying to live as normally as possible. Can you just relax a notch?"

He looked at me carefully, like he was scrutinizing me. "No," came his impassive response.

Okay, then. At least he wasn't hitting on me.

He drove us home and carried my bags upstairs, so there was that. He refused my invitation to come inside, so I reminded him I was expecting company at six and to maybe not frisk Edward.

I worked to put together a salad and chicken piccata, and just as I slid the skillet in the oven to keep warm, there was a knock on the front door followed by Randall opening it and Edward stepping in. He was carrying a bottle of white wine and a bouquet of yellow gladiolus.

"He's been cleared, ma'am."

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" I exclaimed as the door closed. I rushed to Edward, accepting the flowers first, then kissing him on the cheek.

"Cujo is, uh, great." He graced me with his crooked grin.

"Wasn't Cujo a possessed dog?" I asked as he followed me to the kitchen. I laid the flowers down on the counter while I looked for a vase.

"I have no idea. I hope you like white," he said as he offered me the wine bottle.

"Of course. It'll go perfect with dinner."

I busied myself with filling the vase with water and flowers, and Edward put the wine in the fridge. He leaned against the counter nearest to me, crossing his ankles and watching me.

"What?" I asked self-consciously. His presence was overwhelming my kitchen.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you. I'm reacquainting myself with your beautiful features."

Heat rushed to my cheeks at such a compliment, then I chuckled. "We just had dinner Wednesday."

"That was last week, Bella. Ten days ago."

I stopped fussing around. "Are you sure?" I looked at the calendar on my little desk in the corner. "Shit. I guess I have been too busy." The heavy weight of guilt pulled down on my shoulders. I wanted to spend more time with him, but I just hadn't had the chance.

Edward stepped up to me, his long fingers threading through my hair as he tilted my face. "I was hoping for a proper kiss, one that says you've missed me as much as I've missed you."

I had, of course, missed him tremendously. My body trembled in anticipation as he lowered his head, his eyes burning into mine throughout the descent. I could smell his cologne, and something that reminded me of sunshine. His eyelids drifted shut just as his lips touched mine. The jolt of the contact shot through my system, and suddenly it _had_ been way too long as he caressed my cheeks with his fingers, lips and tongue showing me how much he missed me. He tasted like home to me as I opened for him, pressing against his height and wishing I wasn't so short. I wanted to feel every inch of his body against my own. The need to be naked under this man was overwhelming, but I was afraid to rush him. We hadn't been dating very long at all, but that didn't change the way I wanted him.

I broke away from his mouth, panting for breath. "I am so turned on by you," I mumbled, my eyes closing against the almost embarrassing rush of emotions. A tear slipped unbidden from the corner of my eye, and I felt his gentle touch as he kissed it away.

"Why are you crying, sweet Bella?" he said tenderly.

"I don't know," I whispered. "I can't put into words what I feel for you." I opened my eyes, and he stood there, patiently looking at me. "I want- I want to tear your clothes off and have my way with you, taking you so deep inside me that you'll never forget that's where you belong." I heard his sharp intake of breath. "I want to never make you feel like you're not in control of yourself again, because that was taken away from you once, and you've paid long enough. I want to hold you close and be your best friend, letting you tell me all of your secrets. I want to tell you what I'm afraid of and let you comfort me. I want to comfort you when you have nightmares, instead of hearing from your mother that she thinks you still have them."

"That's a lot to infer from one kiss." He leaned in and kissed me again, this time with a searing intensity. His hands molded themselves to my shoulders, roaming over my back as we pressed together. I ran my hands down his arms to his hands, linking my fingers with his and bringing our joined hands to my breasts. I wanted him to know it was okay with me if he touched me there, if he wanted to progress this thing we had.

My veins were on fire, the surface of my skin hot enough to combust. Everything surged inside of me, my desire heightening as he stroked over my tightened nipples.

"Bella," his voice was throaty, giving away his own emotions. "I want the same things as you. I want to wake up in your arms, to comfort your fears until you have nothing left to be afraid of." He pressed gentle, open mouthed kisses to my throat. His lips trailed down my chest, covering the area exposed around my shirt. I gripped him tightly, desperate to be closer.

"Should we…" I trailed off.

He raised his head, the need obvious on his face. He silently nodded in answer to my question.

* * *

 **Sorry to cockblock, but it didn't flow with it all together.**

 **I have to admit, I'm still riding high from Sunday's win. I love you all for reading.**


	19. Chapter 19

The sensations he could elicit within me took my breath away. I didn't know how he knew just where to touch my body to set it aflame, but it must have been instinct. We undressed each other slowly, dragging out the intensity of our anticipation. I traced the planes of muscle that ran across his chest, thrilled that he was mine, that no one else had experienced this with him. His fingers worked on my bra until I was bare from the waist up, and he reverently caressed my face before moving down to tantalize my breasts.

We settled on my bed when we had no clothes left to remove. I was tentative to touch him at first, but it didn't last. He was so responsive to everything; he gasped when my hands wrapped around his cock, warm, hard and heavy in my hands, giving me a sharp thrill. His hissed breath caused a moan to erupt from my chest in response. I stroked the silk over steel length of him, whispering heated words into his skin of what we would experience together. He grunted when I brought him into my mouth, tightening my lips around the tip, then sinking down completely. When he grabbed my hands and pulled me up to meet him, I knew it was because he was already so close to exploding.

It became awkward for a moment, when it seemed he just wasn't sure of what he was doing. Even that only slowed him down briefly, as he began to relax and follow his instincts, moving as though we were made to fit together.

When Edward pushed fully inside me, my back arched and our hips met, welcoming him like I said I would. Deeply, fully and completely. "Right where you belong," I whispered.

He kissed me, his full lips capturing mine and drawing them in. His hips began a rhythm as old as time, as he murmured in my ear. "It's perfection, Bella. I never knew what the fuss was about, but if I had…"

He didn't have to finish his sentence. His body was doing the talking for him as he moved sinuously, muscles bunching and contracting, causing a coiling in me to build and tighten, until I couldn't stand the sweet pressure it caused.

"Edward, oh god." He smiled at me in the semi darkness, and I memorized his face in that moment. Hard lines turned soft as he looked down on me in love and wonder, experiencing for the first time the ecstasy we could share as he slid his cock deeper inside of my willing body.

I grabbed his hand, pulling his long fingers down to where he was joined with me. Something about his expression had that coil tightening again, and I showed him where to touch me, how to circle my clit until I was trembling and screaming his name.

"Jesus, Bella, I had no idea it would be this intense," he gasped, just before he faltered in his movements, stilling with his body pressed tightly to mine. I pulled his head down to me, kissing him with everything I felt in that moment. He eventually rolled over, pulling me against his side.

"I love you," I whispered. I wanted him to know for certain that I was someone he could always count on.

"I've fallen quite hard over you. You're witty, and intelligent, compassionate, and strong. And it doesn't hurt that you're so hot."

I giggled, pressing closer against him. My head rested over his heart, beating wildly just for me.

"That's something I could get used to hearing," I said quietly. "It's not very hard to fall for you. You've made every aspect of my life better. I'm amazed at the strength you've shown, and the positive attitude you keep. Like you have nothing to fear."

"What is your greatest fear?" he asked pensively.

"I have so many," I admitted. "Mostly, I'm afraid of losing you."

"What? Don't you dare-"

"Let me finish." I looked up at his face, begging him to hear me out. He sighed in resignation. "At first, my greatest fear was that I'd fail you. If I didn't get you out, I would prove to you that you were right when you said there was no hope. There is _always_ hope, and I needed you to believe that." I swallowed and had to look away.

"And now?" he prodded.

"Now, I'm afraid you'll realize you've got me on a pedestal, and that I'm not your savior. I'm just me."

" _Just_ you? Kicker of asses, devoted to righting wrongs. Fierce protector." He kissed me briefly. "Selfless friend." He kissed me again. "You've shown me how wonderful you are in your daily life, Bella. You do the same for everybody that you do for me. It's not hero worship, and I'm not going anywhere."

I rested my head on him again, pleased with what he'd said. "What else you got?" he asked.

"I'm afraid of the dark. You can't be aware of your surroundings when it's dark, and it bothers me. I don't feel safe at night, at least I didn't before the detail started."

"I'll protect you, Bella. You're precious to me, and I'll take care of you." His fingers skimmed up and down my arm. "My nightmares are always of going back to that place. The fear of the unknown time from that night, when nobody can be sure of who the monster really was. I'm terrified someone will realize I really did it, and put me away again."

I sat up, my eyes blazing into his as I spoke with passion. "Edward. You _didn't_ do it. You were too heavily drugged to have been able to do anything but sleep. You are _not_ a monster, do you hear me?"

I remembered that I was naked at the exact moment his eyes caught fire, and he sat up with me, crushing my mouth under his.

"I've finally found where I belong, Bella."

It was some time later when we finally ventured to the kitchen to heat up the dinner I'd made. It wasn't as good as it would have been, but I didn't mind. I was sure Edward didn't either since he scraped his plate clean. Conversation flowed about his job and mine. I mentioned the woman I'd spoken to in the hospital, and he was just as eager as I was to have that bastard brought in.

"They're keeping it very quiet, so he doesn't know it's happening beforehand. Charlie will send for him at the last minute." I spun my empty cup on the table repeatedly, not really surprised when I knocked it over. Long, pale fingers wrapped around my hands, and I looked up into his concerned face.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"Yes. This is not about us. Well, it is, but not about _us_ , us."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he said, a tinge of frustration evident in his voice.

"I want you to come for Sunday dinner tomorrow. It's just that I have a big family, and I don't want them to overwhelm you."

He laughed heartily, reminding me of Emmett. I was relieved that he wasn't averse to the idea.

"If that's all that's troubling you, we can handle it. I would love to go with you, as long as we're honest about why I'm showing up."

"I'm not going to introduce you as the case I got reversed, if that's what you mean," I said, almost offended.

"Good. Does that mean I can spend the night? I don't think I've spent enough time exploring your body." He wiggled his eyebrows at me, and I laughed.

"It's a deal."

 **~E~D~**

Loud arguing and an audience cheering on the television was what greeted us the next day. My brothers took football more seriously than church, and the Seahawks were playing.

I glanced to Edward as he helped me slip my jacket off. I showed him the hall tree, and he hung them both before we ventured hand in hand to the living room. I stood near the doorway, watching my two opposite looking brothers as they wrestled. When Emmett glanced up and spotted us, he punched Jasper in the shoulder and pointed.

"Hey, guys," I said a bit shyly.

Edward stepped forward, sticking his hand out to Emmett, since they had previously met. Emmett shook his hand, then Jasper did too.

"Nice to meet you, Edward," Jasper said.

"Yeah, you too."

I'd made sure to arrive close to lunchtime so we didn't have to stand around making small talk. It was awkward enough to have him there doing the parental interrogation at the dinner table, with Mom wanting to know all about his job at the IP. Thankfully, she drew the line at asking him about prison.

I tried to make it clear that we were in a relationship with all the hand holding and longing gazes, but at the end of the night my brothers sort of dismissed him as someone they wouldn't likely see again. My sisters-in-law, however, stopped us in the foyer and chatted for a few minutes about coming next Sunday.

"Next Sunday?" Jasper asked. "You're coming back next week?"

I shot him a glare for his obtuseness, and caught Emmett watching us closely. "Yes, Jasper, I thought I'd bring my boyfriend back to the house of pain."

Mom came around the corner, and I was positive she'd been listening in. "Friends of any nature are always welcome here."

"Thanks, Mom," I said gratefully, right before looking pointedly at Jasper.

Alice had her hands on her hips, glaring up at her husband. "You can be _so_ blind sometimes. Let's go, before you embarrass me any further." She hugged first me, then Edward, and finally Rose and Emmett before stomping out the door.

"You put your foot in your mouth with Alice, but I'm sure you know how to remove it," I heard from my dad.

"I didn't know you were listening," I mumbled.

Jasper sighed a bit before muttering 'sorry' and heading after his diminutive wife. Emmett wisely kept his mouth shut, and after their goodbyes, it was just my parents standing there with me and Edward.

"So, I could probably make this more humiliating, but I'm just going to say see you next weekend."

"Isabella."

I tried not to cringe, but nothing makes you feel more like a child than your full name from your parent's lips. "Yes?"

"Edward was kind enough to tell me and your mother that you two are dating."

"Yes. We have been, it's just that- well, only now-"

"It's serious," Edward spoke up from beside me. He turned to me. "I explained to them that I couldn't help myself, considering what a remarkable young lady they raised. How could I not fall in love?"

"That was slick," I whispered as I leaned in to his kiss on my cheek.

"You two are good together, honestly. Isn't that what I said, Charles? She's glowing."

"Yes, that's what you said, Renée. Bella, if you're happy, that's what matters. Nothing else."

Dad always knew how to bring tears to my eyes. "Thanks, Daddy. We'll see you next week. And don't forget to let me know how it goes tomorrow morning."

"I'll let you know as soon as I know something."

Feeling more lighthearted than I had in a long time, I followed Edward out the door and to my car.

Little did I know it would be a long time before I felt that way again.

* * *

 **A couple of reviewers have asked if this story is nearing the end, and the answer is no. I think the foreshadowing at the end of this chapter will attest to that.**


	20. Chapter 20

**As one of my pre-readers said, it's time to strap in and hold on.**

* * *

Monday morning dragged by, the clock inching forward like a slug on the sidewalk. It was bittersweet having to say goodbye to Edward the night before, and he was all I could focus on. It was wonderful that we'd moved forward in our relationship, but I was feeling as though I didn't have enough time to devote to him right now.

The office was too warm, too claustrophobic. My paperwork was putting me to sleep. When I got the call for a deposition for one of our top cases- the client only being available for a brief window- I jumped at the chance to get out of the office.

I sent a text to Jake as I gathered my things, but received no response. Frowning, I called his cell and still got no answer. Letting out a frustrated groan, I sat heavily in my chair, swinging a bit side to side as I thought. Running my hands over the soft leather armrests, I contemplated my options. This was very important for this case, but I wasn't supposed to leave alone. Then again, Dad was bringing Newton in this morning, so there was nothing left to be afraid of.

Decision made, I let my assistant know where I was headed and made my way to the parking garage. The elevator dinged loudly on the basement level, and I stepped out alone, the click of my heels echoing in the cavernous garage. I felt uneasy, the fine hairs on the back of my neck rising as I made my way quickly to the attendant in the booth. He handed me a set of keys to a company vehicle, and I hurried to walk over and slide in. I told myself to relax, that I was just working myself up over nothing.

I felt more steady as I started the car, the locks engaging giving me a sense of safety. I knew my way to the client's office building, as we'd had our initial meetings with him there. He was on the fifteenth floor of an ostentatious glass building, filled with gold and white leather furniture.

The downside was the lack of parking for guests. I circled the block, unable to find anything nearby. I had to park at a public lot several blocks away, and I grumbled as I leaned over to the passenger seat to grab my briefcase. This deposition had better be worth it.

The streets were fairly crowded, like any other weekday. I noticed when someone fell into step beside me, but paid no attention to them. When I felt something pressed into my lower back, I tensed and slowed down. The gravelly voice in my ear sent shivers of fear curling down my spine.

My steps faltered, but the voice forced me to keep putting one foot in front of the other. "Keep walking. Play nice. You don't want anyone to get hurt, do you?"

My eyes wheeled in my head, momentarily blurring my vision. Thoughts of how to wrench away and make a run for it circled in my brain. The sickness in the pit of my belly was threatening to push itself up, to rush up my gorge and out all over the sidewalk. The people around us were going about their lives, oblivious to the peril of my own life.

"I know you're thinking about it. Make any stupid moves, open your mouth at all, and I start shooting women and children first."

Some sort of strangled sound was emitted from somewhere, and on we walked. There was an alley opening up yards in front of us, the mouth yawning and beckoning me to run down it. Yet, I couldn't risk him going on a shooting spree, not on my foolish impulse.

When he steered me down that very alley and the sunlight was blotted out as the buildings surrounded us, my legs gave out, and I tripped over my own shoes. Hands roughly gripped, my upper arm on fire with the brutal force of it.

"Stupid cow."

Tears coursed their way down my face, draining into the neckline of my blouse and absorbed by the silk as though they never existed, only to be replaced by new ones as rapidly as they disappeared. There was a car in the alley, a black sedan with darkly tinted windows. It was similar to a police vehicle, but surely he wasn't stupid enough to use his own city issued car.

Thoughts and statistics crowded my mind about not letting your abductor take you to a secondary location. Your chances were greater if you didn't get in the car.

"Get in the car," he said gruffly, giving my back a hard shove. My head smacked the window, my arms coming up too late to brace myself. I saw stars in my vision, and felt blood on my fingertips as I stopped to rub the spot. He grew impatient with me, until the sound of the trunk unlatching sent me into hysterics.

"No!" I cried quickly. "Please, not the trunk, I'll ride in the car. Not the trunk!" I pleaded to deaf ears, as he pushed and shoved as I fought him. I didn't want to be trapped in a tiny, airless pocket.

When he pushed me in head first, I realized with a jolt of clarity that nothing about this was going to be easy. Then my head was grabbed by the hair and a piece of duct tape was placed over my mouth. He quickly wrapped more tape around my wrists before slamming the trunk shut.

 **~E~D~**

 **CPOV**

"Sir!" Maggie rushed into my office unannounced.

"Margaret, I assume you haven't simply forgotten your manners. What's wrong?"

"Officer Black was found by a dumpster behind Isabella's office building. He's alive, sir, but barely." She was wringing her small hands as she spoke, and I focused on them in an attempt to maintain my composure.

"Why would anyone do that?" I asked my secretary in a level voice.

"That's the other thing. Isabella left her office forty-five minutes ago in a company vehicle. She never arrived to her appointment."

My façade of calm was momentarily broken, as the nearest paper weight was heaved across the room to dent the wood panelling. When I recovered, I immediately started giving orders to Maggie. She never flinched.

"See if their company cars have GPS and track it. Call my sons, starting with Detective Swan. Inform my wife her presence is required in my office; do not tell her what it is regarding. Have the other officers that split Isabella's detail here for a briefing immediately." I took several deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves. It did not work. "I need Peter pulled out of the mayor's office. This takes precedence." When the poor girl turned to go, I thought of one more thing. "And double the guard on Mrs. Denali's hospital door."

When the door closed behind her, I let loose the furious, anguished roar that had been trying to claw it's way out of my chest. My head dropped to the desk, my hands shaking in my lap. The very thing I'd been so afraid of had happened. I thought we had the bastard cold, but he hadn't shown up to work this morning. Someone knew that I was looking for him, somehow. I didn't know who it was, but they would suffer my wrath alongside him when I discovered them.

Emmett was the first to arrive, and before I could speak he crushed me in his huge embrace. "Maggie told me, Dad. Where the fuck do we start?"

"We treat her like any abduction. The first twenty four, son. That's all we can do. But don't think I won't pull every goddamn meter maid off the streets to look for her."

"I feel like we failed her, Dad." Emmett voiced my own feelings, and I could do nothing but cry alongside him.

When Renée arrived a scant ten minutes after her eldest child, she was pale and shaking like a leaf. "It's not every day you're driven to the commissioner's office in a black and white, lights and sirens the entire way. What in the ever loving-"

"It's Bella, Mom," Emmett interrupted her tirade.

Renée turned furious eyes to me. "When you catch that son of a bitch, _I_ get first dibs." There was a reason I loved my wife so fiercely.

"I'm afraid you'll have to get in line," said Jasper from the doorway. "Red's here to help, in any way we can."

I nodded at the solidarity the fire department was showing us. "Let's get to it, then."

* * *

 **I know you're going to tell me what you think, so I don't even need to ask your thoughts, lol.**

 **Jack & Crush is complete, if anyone was waiting for that before reading. I have a story starting on Monday called Perdition that will be crime/suspense.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Edward's POV is coming right behind Bella's.**

* * *

The room was pitch black, the darkness consuming everything until I felt like I was in a void. I didn't know how long I'd been there, just that it was long enough for me to regret only having a granola bar for breakfast. I didn't know what Newton wanted, but I had no doubt that it _was_ him. He'd spent plenty of time bragging about how he'd gotten away with raping countless women for countless years, until I came along and interfered.

I was stiff from sitting in a hard chair for so long, my arms wrapped in duct tape behind me. My feet were taped to the legs of the chair, but thankfully he'd uncovered my mouth. My claustrophobia had been in full force when I was trapped in the trunk, with no light to see by. There was no air, and I panicked for several minutes before forcing myself to calm down and take light, shallow breaths.

I'd tried to search for an emergency handle, but it was just so dark. Finally, I thought I'd found it near the lid, when the car stopped. I cried, literally cried my eyes out to think I'd been so close to escape. I tried to wipe my face with my bound hands and laid calmly, waiting for him to let me out. He must have gone in the house first, because it felt like forever before he finally popped the trunk, more tape in hand.

The fact that he was arrogant enough not to even bother hiding his face froze my blood, disturbing me to my core. Either his ego was enormous to believe he wouldn't be caught, or worse, he'd never let me go alive. The look in his eyes was an evilness so ingrained it rose from his DNA; only his victims would ever see that expression. He had a regular face, pleasant enough. Nondescript, non threatening. At least until he grinned at me, and my stomach lurched in disgust.

"Should have let that guy rot in prison. Should have stayed out of it." He yanked me out of the trunk, and I scraped my leg on the edge of the opening. I cried out against the tape, but he just kept smiling. "Even got my uncle in there to make sure he threw him in solitary and left him distraught and suffering."

He left me bound to the chair. I wasn't sure why, or what he had planned. There weren't any windows for the light to filter through. As my eyes adjusted, I could make out shapes that appeared to be work benches. I remembered him dragging me through the kitchen to the back of the house, what looked like an old victorian.

My heart rate spiked as I realized I was in a workshop full of tools. They could be used to escape if I was lucky. Or, if I was unlucky, he could use them against me.

 **EPOV**

Working at the Innocence Project was amazing. The staff was friendly; the volunteers came and went, but they all had such compassionate hearts. I'd spent enough time with Liam and Leah to know that they would make great lawyers when they graduated.

My cell phone vibrated from inside the desk drawer again. It'd been doing that off and on for a few hours, but I'd been ignoring it. I was trying to make a good impression.

The thought that someone might need to get ahold of me led me to open the drawer and peek at the number listed. It wasn't anything I recognized, so I closed the drawer back.

It was half an hour later when the phone perched on the edge of my desk rang shrilly. Something prickled at the back of my neck, and I snatched the receiver up.

"This is Edward Cullen."

"This is Commissioner Swan. Charlie. Bella's father."

He sounded so fucking flustered, something I knew from Bella was not like him. My grip tightened on the phone until my knuckles protested. "What's wrong?"

"Bella is missing. She didn't show to an appointment she went to alone, and her detail was found bludgeoned." My heart lodged in my throat, right before plummeting to my gut. Anger flashed, but I reigned it in. _They were supposed to protect her._

"What can I do? Name it, and I'll take care of it."

"We found her employee car near the building she was heading to, but no sign of her. Newton is most likely in his police issue, but he's removed the GPS and left it at her office near Black."

I scrubbed my hands over my face. "Is he okay?" I reluctantly asked.

"For now, until I find out how he was taken by surprise. Then we'll see how he's doing. If he had anything to do with this, he's going to find out what hell feels like." He sighed heavily. "I have my sons out looking, the local fire department is looking when they're out on calls, but there's only so much they can do without interfering with their own jobs. Emmett's squad is undercover, asking if anyone saw anything. So far, there's only a witness that maybe thinks they saw her and a guy go down an alley and get in a dark car with dark windows."

"Do we know of any locations owned by Newton or his family? Maiden names an old house could be hiding under?"

"I have someone on it."

Now I sighed. "Let me inform Ms. Zarowsky, and call my parents. I don't know what we can do, but we'll be there within the hour."

I hung up with him and called the house. When mom answered, I told her I needed her and dad at the police station downtown, and I didn't want to hear about Dad being too busy. Mom was surprised, but I told her it was an emergency that had to do with Bella. She understood, even if Dad never would.

Ms. Zarowsky was out of the office, but I told Liam and Leah, and they came with me. The station was crawling with people, and I asked the desk sergeant for the commissioner's office. Dad walked in the double doors with Mom on his tail as a short woman with curly red hair came to escort us to our destination.

"Edward, your mother said there was an emergency. What's going on?" Dad's voice was perplexed, no alarm coating his tone.

I refused to answer him until we were in the elevator with the doors closed. Then I turned on him with a sneer. "Bella has been kidnapped by the rapist that set me up ten years ago. The one you refused to believe existed until Bella shoved the evidence in your face."

His eyes widened, his jaw going slack. My mother gasped, her arm going around me. I turned my back on him as the elevator opened, and we filed down the hall to a wood paneled office that was full of people, in uniform and out. There was a separate conference room with the door open, and it was crowded too, with laptop computers and mountains of paperwork on the table. Someone had dragged a white case board into the room, and it had pictures of Bella and an unknown man on it, as well as two vehicles and two license plates.

I moved to the board, involuntarily drawn in. I passed people on their phones or typing away, finally coming to a stop in front of the pictures. My hand went up to cover Bella's face, my fingers trailing lightly over the lively grin. But my gaze was pulled to the man's picture, seeing him for the first time. That was the man still trying to ruin my life. This time, I had to make sure he was stopped.

* * *

 **I know what we all want to see happen to Mike, and you are some creative people with your torture ideas.**

 **If you haven't seen it already, I have a new story posting on Mondays. It's suspense/crime.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Brace yourselves.**

* * *

 **BPOV**

I was cold. The night had lower temperatures this time of year, so the sun must have gone down. I could only guess, as there was no light in this cold, dark abyss of a room that echoed, terrifying me. I wasn't certain, but I thought he was trying to scare me by leaving me alone in the dark, that maybe part of his torture method was to break me down. I tried to keep my brain sharp, reciting hated multiplication in my head to pass the time and keep the panic at bay.

Until I heard a door slam. The following silence was resounding and freaked me out. With no heavy footsteps to warn of his approach, I couldn't help but scream when I felt a hand on my head. If I thought it possible, I would swear there was no heart beating in his empty chest. He had no compassion or empathy for anyone. But mine, mine thundered with dread, the unknown suddenly very known.

"I'm going to enjoy the things I do to you."

The medical records of Carmen Denali flashed in my mind's eye, and I stifled the whimper that rose in my throat. I would not give him the satisfaction, despite the slip-up when he first touched me.

But a body's responses could not always be controlled, and the trembling of my nerve endings would not be quelled.

He laughed maliciously.

 **EPOV**

I was going to enjoy ripping that son of a hairless whore apart. He was the epitome of evil, and all I wanted was a few minutes while everyone turned their heads and let me have at him.

One of the computer techs had found two abandoned properties in Newton's mother's maiden name. Not surprisingly, she'd long been buried and I wouldn't even be surprised if he had been the one to do it. Emmett and Charlie and I were at one of the houses, with approximately the entire Seattle SWAT team, give or take a guy. The other house was checked out, and there'd been no sign of recent tire tracks, and no heat signature. As we moved closer, the SWAT officer at the front switched on the infrared.

"Two inside," I heard him say quietly. Charlie gave a few hand signals, and those with the ram went first, moving up the porch and to the door. Having been involved in the briefing, I knew they had stun grenades, which was going to suck for Bella. In the long run, I didn't think she'd mind that it took such effort to save her. There were men at the back of the house, making a much more quiet entry with their special tools. The heat sources were at the back, but the idea was to drive the bastard away from her to save himself, thereby allowing the small, silent team to swoop in and grab her. I was to stay outside by the paramedics waiting to care for Bella.

It was it's own kind of torture, not being allowed inside. I couldn't fathom what he might have put her through in the last fifteen hours, but if she could withstand that, I could man up and wait for her out here.

The noise was deafening for a minute, the battering ram taking the door in and cracking the silence in pieces. The stun grenades fired off next, and the sound of screaming split through the chaos. My fists clenched at my sides, my heart recognizing instantly the sound of Bella's terror.

Jasper appeared at my side, his hand restraining me in a knowing way. He hadn't been able to convince his father or brother that he could go in, either.

"That's her, Jasper. The screaming, that's her," the desperation easily spewed from my throat.

"It's over, Edward. He has nowhere to hide, and the team must have her by now. She's not screaming anymore."

I looked him in the eye, realizing the truth of what he said. It was eerily quiet now. "Why-"

"Everything is on comms now, it'll be a minute before you hear anything from out here," Jasper explained.

I nodded, too emotional to speak as we waited. The hand that had been restraining me now rested on my shoulder, a gesture of solidarity.

Movement became apparent at the front doorway, men in tactical gear coming out like ants from a destroyed hill. It was a blur of men coming from the smoky interior, and I grew more and more frustrated.

"Where is she?" I growled.

Jasper shifted beside me, craning his neck impatiently. "There!"

I looked to where he was pointing near the inky darkness of the backyard. Men were coming forward, their outlines bulky in their gear, and one of them was carrying a small form. She was suddenly a little girl in her father's arms, and I found myself rooted to the spot as Charlie came into focus, the tears running down his cheeks unchecked.

Emmett became apparent behind Charlie, and Jasper moved to open the door of the ambulance. The paramedics quickly pulled the stretcher from the back and pulled the legs out, locking them in place. I watched each move like it was the most important piece to the puzzle. Then, turning away from the scene in front of me, I lost the contents of my stomach in the dirt before falling to my knees. My head in my hands, I knelt there rocking, shaking.

"Hey." The voice was sharp, unforgiving. I looked up at Emmett's looming frame, the trembling in my hands worsening. "Get your ass up and get over there. She's going to need each of us, including you."

"I just need a minute, for God's sake," I rasped.

"Yeah, well, _she_ didn't get a minute."

He walked away, and I wondered if he'd ever forgive me for putting her in this position, however indirectly. I stood, legs shaky as a baby's, and made my way back to the others. She was blocked from view, every person present leaning over and hovering.

"You're going to trigger her claustrophobia," I muttered to no one in particular.

"Edward?" It was muffled behind the oxygen mask, but it was still the most precious sound to me.

"I'm here."

Her hand snaked out from behind the paramedics, and I grasped it tightly in both of my own. It was cold, so fucking cold. I still couldn't see her clearly, and then there was a parting, just a few people shifting so there was a path to her face.

I couldn't let her see my thoughts in my expression, so I plastered on the serene smile I'd practiced for ten years. "Baby... I'm so glad... to see you," she said haltingly.

"That's my line," I teased her, forcing the words past the rotten feeling swirling in the pit of my stomach.

"Maybe." She closed her eyes, the tears leaking out almost unnoticed. I didn't know what else to say. I just wanted to get the fuck out of there, and at the same time I wanted to wrap her in my arms and pretend it was Saturday night again.

"Do you want me to ride with you, if they'll let me?"

"I don't think... they will. Ride with Daddy... so I know... he'll get you to... the hospital."

I leaned in and kissed her temple just before they loaded her up, whispering my love for her in her ear and squeezing her fingers before she had to let go.

"They shot him." Startled, I spun to see Charlie behind me. He swung his keychain in an arc on his finger, then motioned to his vehicle. Handing the keys over to Pete, Charlie climbed in the back with me. "I needed answers only he could provide, but they said he had a weapon. Turned out to be a screwdriver," he scoffed.

"I'm only grateful that he's dead, relieved even." I swallowed thickly, afraid that I would vomit again. I had the image of Bella's ravaged face burned on my retinas. "What he did to her, he paid for with his life. I'm relieved," I repeated.

"You're not fooling me, son."

"I wasn't trying to, sir."

"You saw, but it's not just her face." The grief was evident in his voice.

"I didn't know. She was hard to get to, to see clearly." Fuck, this night just needed to end.

"She'll be fine, with help."

I couldn't tell who he was trying to convince.

* * *

 **A collective sigh of relief, I hope. Anybody not in love with Edward?**


	23. Chapter 23

**The answers most of you have been looking for.**

* * *

 **BPOV**

Fog crept across my brain, silently obscuring the people and things I wanted to be aware of while simultaneously blocking the horrific time I'd spent in that house. In some deep recess of my mind, I accepted it as merely a coping mechanism. I struggled to focus on my senses, concentrating first on the sounds around me. It seemed that oxygen and carbon dioxide warred with each other as my lungs rattled in my chest and the effort created a whistling in my eardrums. Shifting my concentration outside my own body, I could hear the muffled sound of beeping as my heart rate registered on some machine. A scraping noise to my left caused my head to involuntarily shift toward the sound.

"Bella?"

The voice should be familiar, but there were far too many layers of static between the sound waves and my synapses. I wanted to open my eyes, to squeeze the hand that I felt twitch in my palm. A gesture, brushing across my temple where hair was matted, felt poignantly familiar. I tried to speak, heard the gurgle that came forth instead.

"Don't talk, sweetheart. You have to rest."

 _Mother_. Now the comforting voice came through, piercing the foggy haze. "Mommy," I croaked.

"It's me," she sobbed, causing the rhythm of my heart monitor to spike as I worried for her.

"Don't… cry," I murmured feebly.

I guess I made it worse, because her soft hair tickled my cheek as she laid her head on my shoulder and sobbed harder. I drifted back into a dreamless sleep, the kind of blackness where you have no idea how much time has elapsed.

Until someone touched my face, and the memories came rushing back harsh and relentless, eliciting a strangled scream from my throat as I bolted up in the bed, slugging the person that dared to lay a hand on me.

 **CPOV**

I really felt for the nurse that was trying to check the laceration nearest Bella's eye when she sat up without warning, screaming and flailing her hands. The poor woman caught a fist in the chin as Bella's defense mechanism kicked in.

"Hey, Bella, it's Dad, calm down. You're safe, you're in the hospital," I soothed my child in the voice I had used countless times over the years.

Hands in defensive mode in front of her face, she turned blindly in my direction. "Daddy?" she whispered. In that moment, she was my baby daughter, small and scared and in need of protection.

"Open your eyes, baby, it's me," I soothed again.

The eyes that had been screwed shut slowly came open, crusty and bloodshot. Her injuries were swollen, angry and red around the dressings. The nurses had been coming in every few hours to check her vitals and sometimes her wounds. They had already been cleaned, stitched up, and covered. I was worried what Bella's state of mind would be when she was fully conscious, when she saw the injuries that bastard inflicted.

She looked at me, her gaze unfocused. "Daddy," she repeated, forlornly this time.

"Yeah. I've got you, baby girl."

"Don't let him touch me," she whispered, and my heart clenched in my chest. It was then that I realized that in her mind, she was still back at the house with that bastard.

"I won't. I'm right here, you just rest."

Her eyes fluttered shut, and she fell into a restless sleep. The nurse proceeded with her ministrations as Bella slept, carefully standing an arm's length away.

 **BPOV**

The sharp smell of antiseptic hit my nose, followed by the cloying scent of flowers. Something tickled my face, and I batted it away, my movements feeble.

"Sorry," came the gruff voice. I sensed a shifting body and reached out. My fingers met with warm skin, and I clutched at the hand in mine.

"Edward," I whispered.

"Yes."

"Can I-" I stopped to run my thick tongue around a desiccated mouth. "Can I... get a drink?"

I was able to focus more as he moved to grab the plastic cup on the bedside table. The tilt-a-whirl was less dizzying than my brain was right now. I pulled the straw he offered me through my cracked lips, and winced at the soreness. I reached desperately for his hand again as he left my sight line.

"Has anyone told you?"

"Told me what?" My voice was a weakened impression of the strong tenor I normally had.

"You have pneumonia. You're heavily medicated, so if you feel drowsy, that's why." His emotions were running under the surface of his words, and he was scared to say it, to give credence to the fears.

"He didn't... rape me." I had to pause, both to catch my breath, and because it was difficult to admit what _had_ actually happened. "I'm sure... you're all... wondering, since... that's his... M.O., after all."

"You don't have to do this," he assured me, but his conviction fell short, with the fear and guilt written all over his face.

"I know that," I replied softly. I reached for the cup and had more water. It burned going down a raw throat.

"Do you know that he's dead? Did anyone tell you?" The joy was trying to burst out of his mouth with that statement. It was over for Edward; nightmares had no place in his life anymore.

"Okay." I didn't honestly know what else to say. _I_ was not full of glee that he was dead, that he'd gotten away that easily. I would rather have had the chance to put his balls in a vise and turn the crank myself. We were silent for a time, before he spoke sadly.

"It's my fault, all of this is my fault. If you can't stand to be in my presence, I'll go. I would understand."

"You don't get... to make this... about you," I answered his diatribe as sharply as I could.

"Jesus, I'm not trying to do that!" he shouted in a panic.

"Then shut up. I chose... to help you. I knew a dangerous criminal... was looking for me, and I'm... the idiot that left the office alone. I own that... You don't." My breathing came out in forced pants.

"I can't help feeling guilty," he muttered.

"Save it for your therapist," I snapped.

"I'm going to go, I'm just making you angry."

I looked right at him, staring into the green eyes I loved. I hated the pain I saw there, but I didn't have it in me to worry over him and myself.

"I don't want you to leave... I _am_ angry, just not at you... I'm angry at myself, but mostly I'm angry at... Newton." It was harder to spit out his name than I thought it would be. "I know where to lay the blame, so if I sound pissed... it's because I don't have the energy to be nice."

I was gasping, air refusing to fill my lungs and give relief to the odd drowning feeling. My face hurt, my chest hurt, and tears were coursing down my face.

"Bella," he soothed, his hands gentle on my shoulders. "Shallow breaths, relax."

The door opened and a nurse came bustling in, with coffee colored skin and bright pink scrubs. "What can I do for you, honey?"

I looked to Edward.

"I'm the one that pushed the button. She can't breathe, and I don't know if she's in pain."

The nurse moved around the bed, replacing an oxygen mask over my face and adjusting the straps. "Leave that on, honey. Stay calm and take deep breaths, that oxygen will make you feel better." She looked at the read out from my machine. "What is your pain level, on a scale of one to ten?"

My eyes closed as my breathing regulated. I mumbled something, but I didn't think she could hear me. I held up both hands, indicating the number seven. I drifted back to sleep as she moved around me, with Edward's hand clutched steadfastly in my own.

* * *

 **They've got so much healing to do, now, but I think they'll both surprise you.**

 **Did you know I post teasers on Tuesdays? Here's the link to the group.**

 **facebook (dot com) /groups/1533457420295204/**

 **Or you can always search my penname.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Bella is going to be explicit with her injuries, which several people asked about.**

* * *

When I woke a few mornings later, I heard angry voices exchanging beyond my door, with Edward's voice being immediately familiar. I thought the other belonged to his father. Shifting, I pushed myself up in the bed, adjusting the cannula that had replaced the hated mask. I coughed, and my chest ached it's rebuttal.

"Bella?" Edward stuck his head in the door, and I waved him in, still studiously trying to dislodge a lung.

He came in, tentatively creeping toward the bed, as though a threat lurked below it. His father hesitated in the doorway, and I thought I could understand the reluctance from Edward.

When the coughing subsided, I swallowed most of the water left on my small rolling table. "Hey," I croaked.

Edward fussed, patting my pillows and smoothing my hair. If it wasn't such a normal gesture for him I'd have assumed he was stalling.

"Dad wants to visit," he said quietly. He met my gaze, a crease marring his brow. "He's not your physician, you can say no," he said on a breath.

I shook my head. "It's fine. Really," I assured him when his frown deepened.

Carlisle cleared his throat, stepping with a colt's unsure gait toward my bedside. "I want to say thank you."

He stopped several feet away to make his declaration. I studied the lined face, the weariness obvious in the bags under his eyes, at the tight set of his lips.

"Why are you thanking me now?" I panted a bit at the end of my sentence.

"Because I should have before. I should have thanked you, and apologized to him." It didn't go unnoticed that he didn't meet my gaze.

Edward snorted. "It's too late for any of that, like I told you."

"It's never too late for gratitude, though I think the forgiveness might be harder won." I watched them, two people standing oceans apart. Not looking at each other, tucked into themselves. I took Edward's hand, tugged him to sit and relax.

"Well, I'm trying to make amends, but I know I'm too late for that. Still, I have to try." Carlisle licked his lips, gesturing uselessly with his hands. "I'll leave you be. I hope you get better quickly."

He backed out of the room, never looking directly at me. I knew that only the nurses truly looked at me, _saw_ _me_. My parents and brothers stared at a spot over my shoulder, and Edward… he looked me right in the eyes.

"Sweetheart, you should work on forgiving him for your sake. It's a heavy burden to carry that around." My breathing wheezed in and out.

"What if I don't want to?" He shifted in his seat to better face me. "What if he doesn't deserve it, and it helps fuel my determination to be better? To be something other than him, what about that?"

"I think- I think your therapist would tell you that's unhealthy." My lungs labored with the effort to hold a conversation.

"Being in prison is like a slow death- fading away little by little each day until your basic humanity is lost. If you're lucky, you have a family member that visits you often enough to remind you of who you are. So, no, I don't feel any particular need to forgive him for not being that person. You want to know what I thought about, all those long and lonely days in prison?" he asked with a sudden burning intensity.

I frowned. We'd discussed it enough times that I thought I knew where he was going. I was wrong.

"You." I opened my mouth, but Edward stopped me. "Not _you_ , because that would be freaky. But I dreamed that someone would come find me, someone that believed in me. I waited so long for you, Bella, and I almost lost you."

I lay there speechless as he folded over, dropping his head to my chest. I stroked his hair while the tears flowed down my cheeks. I knew he loved me; I could see it in his eyes every time he looked at me. My chest throbbed, and not from the pneumonia.

"Edward," I whispered. "I need you to look at me. To- to actually _see_ me."

He sat up. I read uncertainty and reluctance on his handsome face, but there was no fear or doubt as he gently cupped my jaw and looked me over. My forehead had a healing gash from the car window, closed up with seven stitches. My left cheekbone had a long, jagged cut from the screwdriver he'd used to torture me. There was one by my right eye, and another down my throat near my jugular. The bruises that bloomed behind the force he'd used to cut my flesh with a dull tool had deepened to shades of amethyst and onyx. Which just made me feel better to say than black and purple. That inspection only included from the neck up; there were more on my arms, and they all had ugly bruises and stitches to go with them, with colors I didn't have the heart to name yet.

"I see you, and you're beautiful. It's your strength, and compassion, and intelligence that shine out of your very pores. Don't think I don't see what that fucker did, but it doesn't define you. What I see when I look in your eyes is your soul. Your soul is what defines you, Bella, and it's goddamn gorgeous."

A sob escaped my throat. "I love you, Edward. I love you so fucking much." All of my emotions rushed out of me and spilled onto him as I grabbed his face. I could only kiss his cheek, I was still contagious, but I did so gently. "I want out of this stupid bed so I can kiss and hold you properly."

"Here," he murmured, shifting so his hip lined up next to mine. I moved over, giving him room to sit next to me. He snaked his arm around my shoulders, and I snuggled into his side.

We sat quietly for a few minutes, until my door burst open. Our fathers stood there together, mine striding in purposefully.

"Bella, Edward."

Charlie came to a stop at the foot of my bed. Carlisle stayed near the door, looking only at his son.

"Aro DeLuca has been arrested. He was found on your property, Edward, attempting entry to the back of the house. Esme called the police, but I had a detail out on the road that had already called it in and moved in on him. He's facing a long list of charges, adding to what Varner was already laying on him for prisoner abuse."

"How is Mom?" Edward asked of his dad.

"She's coming. Her police detail is bringing her here," Carlisle replied stiffly.

There was a knock, and Rose stuck her head in. It seemed the party was in my room today. "Can I come in?" she asked in her soft voice.

Charlie looked back at her and held his hand out. She came fully into the room and accepted his hand, and his one armed hug. Dad glanced back at me.

"Mrs. Denali's being released today. Her husband and son are picking her up in a few hours. I thought you'd like to know."

I beamed at him. "Thanks, Daddy." I was thrilled to hear that Carmen was better, and I knew she was safe now.

"Well, I'll come back later, since you're full-up here." Dad gave me a kiss on my unmarked cheek, briefly touched Edward's shoulder, and headed out. Carlisle followed silently.

Rose took the unoccupied chair, her heeled boot bouncing as she crossed her knees.

"I'm glad you came," I told her sincerely.

She smiled. "I wanted to check on you, instead of taking Emmett's word."

I watched her push her long blonde hair behind her ear, saw the uneasiness on her face. Watched her eyes flick to Edward and back over my shoulder. I sighed.

"You don't have to tell me what he's saying. I've heard his opinion, and he's gotten an earful in return." For the first time in our lives, my brother and I were at a true impasse.

"I don't agree with him, and I told him that." Rose's gentle admission gave me some hope, and I loved her even more for it.

I tried to shift my thighs, it felt like I'd been in the same position for years, but I couldn't quite manage. Edward took over, getting up and taking me by the hips, helping me reposition. He moved my pillows around, placing them under all of my pressure points like we'd been taught by the nurses.

"Thank you," I murmured, and he kissed my temple in response before sitting back on the edge of the bed.

"He loves you, anyone can see that," Rose spoke up.

"That's not enough for Emmett. I guess Edward should suffer for my choices." My voice was bitter; I couldn't see Emmett without fighting with him, and he wouldn't even come if Edward was here.

"I suppose he's trying to deal, in his own way. He's been working more, and picking fights with me." She shook her head. "I told him I see through him, and I refuse to play his game. You can imagine how much he liked that."

I snorted. "Not at all."

Edward sighed. "I understand. He's feeling like he's got to blame somebody, and Mike's dead. It's easier to punish me than a corpse."

"I'm still working on him, because I disagree." Rose stood, offering me a small wave. "I'll come visit again soon."

I watched her leave before turning to Edward. "You better not be blaming yourself still." My ire was less impressive due to the coughing fit that followed.

After I'd settled and Edward had put down my water glass for me, he framed my face with his long fingers as gently as he could. "I did. I do, but I try not to. I know it's always been him, but he's a ghost, a shadow that's still following us. It's easier to blame myself, and I'm working on not falling into that trap. Because he can't touch us anymore, and that's what I want to focus on."

My eyes were drifting closed as I answered. "Good, cause I'd hate to kick your gorgeous ass."

* * *

 **I'm so proud of Edward.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Based on the reactions on the Facebook page, y'all are gonna pretty much hate Emmett by the end of this chapter.**

* * *

I only had a short nap before more people showed up. First Esme, to reassure us that she was really okay. She stayed for the better part of an hour, and I noticed she didn't feel the need to focus over my shoulder. She tsked over my injuries, refilled my water cup, and brushed and braided my hair. She felt truly like my mother, and I caught her in a hug before she could flit off again.

"Thank you, Esme."

She smiled at me, and I watched as she sat on the foot of my bed and picked at the fuzzballs on my beige hospital blanket. "I hear Carlisle visited," she ventured.

"He did." I waited for her to gather her courage before saying what was weighing on her heart.

"I told him… when Edward was released, I told him he had to fix his relationship with his son. Instead, Carlisle worked longer hours and avoided us both." She looked up from the blanket. "After you were found, I insisted again that he repair his relationship with Edward."

"It might be irreparable, Esme," I murmured. My own heart was heavy with the thought that Edward's father had ruined his chances of truly knowing his son.

"They were always inseparable," she sobbed quietly, her trembling hand resting on her temple. "They were two of a kind, and Edward wanted nothing more than to make Carlisle proud of him. That's only one of the reasons he wanted to become a doctor." She worried her lower lip between her teeth for a second. "Carlisle was furious when I put up the bail before his trial. He told me he hadn't raised a rapist, and my response was that he was right, we hadn't. He wanted to disown him, and I wanted to prove his innocence."

"You've spent years at odds, haven't you?" I asked gently.

Esme nodded. "I don't want a divorce, but I can't forgive my husband. I don't know what to do."

Her cheeks were flushed as she looked back down at the bed. I felt terrible for her, stuck right in the middle between her husband and her son. Then the door opened, and Edward stepped in.

"Hey, sweetie, you're just in time," I greeted him. Esme's eyes shot to mine. "Your mom was kind enough to do my hair, and I feel almost like a real human again."

"That was really nice of you, Mom. I bought you a coffee while I was downstairs." I watched in true jealousy as he handed her the paper cup, wishing I could have one right then, too.

Edward stepped over to me, leaning over and kissing me tenderly on the forehead. The scent of decent coffee wafted up my nose, and my mouth actually watered. "Here, love. This one's for you," he offered in his deep, smooth voice.

I could have wept with my gratitude; I nearly did just that. "Oh, God, thank you. They never give me coffee with breakfast, not that I think it would taste good if they did." I took a tentative sip, not wanting to burn my tongue.

He held up a greasy brown paper bag and rattled it in his hand. I barely resisted snatching it from him. "And this is for you, too."

"I knew there was a reason I love you." I pulled out the chocolate glazed donut, licking the icing from where it came off onto my finger.

Edward laughed, and Esme stood. "I should probably get going," she said, sounding reluctant.

"Don't leave on my account, Mom. There's enough room for us both." Edward settled in the chair next to me, where he practically lived.

"That's alright, your father's waiting to take me home." She bent and kissed my cheek before moving to her son. I busied myself with my donut as they said their goodbyes.

It wasn't long after she left that Mrs. Denali stopped by with her husband and young son. Oscar was an adorable little guy, who climbed right up on my feet and asked if my boo-boos would heal like his mother's had. She had tears in her eyes as she watched us interact. Everyone met Edward, and I had the chance to meet Carmen's husband Eleazar. They were a lovely family, and I noticed that Edward passed on his therapist's information to them.

I was exhausted by the time they left. "I think I need another nap," I admitted.

"If you'll be okay for a little while, I'm going to go home and change."

I watched Edward stretch, his shirt revealing a strip of bare stomach as it rose. I bit my lip, then boldly asked for what I wanted. "I need to touch you, for just a minute."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

I gestured, and he came closer. My fingers trailed along that warm, smooth plane that was barely above where his pants rested at his hips. He gasped at my touch, vibrating muscles tensing to hold still. His hands grabbed mine.

"I…"

I smiled at him sheepishly. "Go have your shower. I'll see you when you get back."

He nodded, watching me as he backed out the door.

I dozed for a little while, opening my eyes to see Emmett and Dad were sitting with me. I raised my brows at Emmett.

"Rose said she'd been by. I thought I'd be nice and come, too."

I couldn't help notice he barely fit in the small visitor chair. He was drawn into himself, anger and guilt written all over his features; the tightness around his eyes and the deep lines across his forehead as he frowned made it clear how he was feeling.

"So, you see I'm in one piece," I said dryly.

Dad lifted his eyebrow, and I copied the gesture. "Has the doctor given any indication of when you'll be discharged?" he questioned.

"As long as I can keep my O2 levels up, within three days. My cough is productive, and the infection is moving out of my system."

"And the rest?" Emmett practically growled.

"If by 'the rest' you mean the cuts and bruises, those will take weeks to heal. If you mean the scars that will be left behind, those will possibly never go away. If you mean the emotional damage, who the fuck knows?" My lungs protested so much dialogue, and I spent a good ten minutes coughing hard as my dad and brother hovered.

"Are you okay?" Emmett asked nervously.

"Just peachy." I gulped down the ice water left on my rolling table, then shifted in a vain attempt to get comfortable.

"Bella-" Emmett started, but I interrupted.

"No, you know what? I'm pissed at you, and that's not likely to change any time soon."

"What the hell, Bella, you barely know the guy and you're picking _him_?" he exploded.

"You don't get to say that to me! I'm not choosing sides, Emmett, _you_ are. You're too stubborn to realize that he did nothing wrong. _I_ left the office alone, _I_ chose to represent him and countless others through the Innocence Project. _I_ chose to keep working on this when Dad told me to drop it."

"But fuck, Bella, you've never brought a con home with you!" Emmett shouted.

"Emmett Charles!" our father barked.

Emmett plowed on. "What the fuck are you _thinking_? You could've gotten yourself killed, and all because you let the little lost prisoner follow you home!"

"You liked him just fine when you were defending him from that bigot!" I shouted back.

"Yeah, I like him as a person, B. Just not _your_ person."

That's how Edward found me, gasping for breath, tears and snot running down my face. He glared first at Emmett, then my father. "What the hell is going on here?"

His voice was so quiet and calm, belying his fury. He hurried to my side, handing me a tissue and smoothing my hair back. The water appeared before me, and I gave him a watery smile. The shuffling noise behind him caught my attention. Edward turned, standing in front of me.

"I'm sorry, Isabella. I didn't come to upset you," I heard my father say.

"You did nothing to prevent it from happening, either," Edward returned.

I heard my father's breath, and I figured he was keeping his temper in check for my benefit. "I'll be back tomorrow," he muttered. I peered around Edward as my father and brother left the room.

"How much did you hear?" I mumbled as he turned back to me.

"The end. Despite everything, I'm your person, Bella. Always."

* * *

 **Before you grab your torches and pitchforks (lol), he will redeem himself eventually. But, yeah, he was awful.**


	26. Chapter 26

**It's hectic around my house this morning. We went without power for two hours last night, and school is delayed. Send coffee!**

 **Let's see how Bella fares out of the hospital.**

* * *

Every single thing was unraveling around me. The doctor discharged me as being physically competent to be released but, in my opinion, I was not as mentally or emotionally ready to be home as I would have liked. Esme and Carlisle were on the brink of divorce, her faith in him shattered by his actions toward Edward. Emmett was estranged from the family, deciding that he didn't want to be around me or Edward, putting a strain on the family dynamic. Then Charlie, in anger and frustration, had gone on a rampage and fired half of the employees of the city of Seattle. Jake was demoted to traffic cop after he admitted that he was flirting with a woman that turned out to be a hooker paid off by Newton; his uncle being the only thing that kept him from getting fired. He claimed the woman was giving him pertinent information, but he deserved the cracked skull, in my opinion.

And me… I was falling apart at the seams. Edward was just barely holding the jagged pieces of me together, something I couldn't seem to do myself anymore. The night terrors were so real, so tangible, I would fight off Edward while he tried to calm me. I had a scent trapped in my lungs, of dampness, blood, and a soulless monster. I could smell him in my dreams, the way the acrid odor of fertilizer clung to his skin as he came for me again and again. I'd ripped more than one set of stitches thrashing around, and finally the doctor gave me something to help me sleep without dreaming.

I didn't know where the badass version of myself went when I got home. I kept going over that day in my head, and all the mistakes I'd made. When it came down to it, I failed myself. I went from focusing on survival, to focusing on healing the pneumonia, to just… living. I was trying to live hour by hour, some days minute by minute. I had panic attacks now, and I couldn't fight off the feeling of foreboding.

Newton was dead, so I couldn't watch him being torn apart in the courtroom. No witnesses, no victim impact statements. It pissed me off that he had avoided the justice system I believed in so strongly. I also knew there was no way in hell he'd gotten away with everything for this long without help. There had to be a mole in the department, someone that told him Dad was coming for him that Monday. Someone that helped him cover everything up and hide when the deputy chief went looking for him. I had no idea if that person was still coming for me, or who they could be.

Aro DeLuca would have a trial. He would spend plenty of time in jail since he thought adding breaking and entering to his list of charges was a dandy idea. As happy as that made me, he wasn't the bigger picture. He couldn't replace Mike and suffer the worst injustices of the prison system, the way that bastard had deserved. What did it say about me that I wished Mike had been tormented instead of dying, taking the easy way out?

I knew that it wasn't over. I hated feeling weak, someone who couldn't take care of myself or go through a full day without a panic attack taking me down. I was wretched, lashing out at Edward as he tried to help me.

"You need to go!" I screamed at him, fisting my hair at the scalp and yanking until the pain brought me to the present. "I'm no good for you," I wailed, the tears overcoming me. The room was too close, everything looming and feeling like it would touch me if I wasn't curled into myself protectively.

"No." It was impassive, authoritative.

Dragging in air, listening to it whistle through my lungs, I frowned at his monosyllabic answer. "What?" I wheezed.

"I'm not leaving," he replied sternly. "I'll go in the kitchen. Do you need anything?"

I couldn't understand why he hadn't bailed yet, why he put up with my lunacy. "Nothing," I whispered, just needing space.

I watched Edward walk out of the room, and I practiced deep breathing, visualizing a safe and happy place. He didn't deserve my ire, or my insanity. I envisioned a sunny meadow filled with wildflowers and wind whispering through the tall grass. Edward lay by my side, smiling sweetly at me as I unbuttoned his shirt and trailed my hands over his chest.

The bubble burst when that scent crept back in, the flowers wilting and decaying and giving off a rotting smell. I blinked, trying to focus on my living room; my pictures, my books, my knick-knacks. I was safe, I was at home. He couldn't touch me anymore. A different odor was overtaking the apartment, and I realized that Edward was brewing coffee on the other side of the wall in my kitchen. I stood, glancing at my pajamas and robe, and felt disgusted with myself. Making a hasty decision, I rushed into the bathroom and stripped before I could change my mind. Ignoring my reflection in the mirror, I turned the shower on and stepped in. I scrubbed roughly, careful of my stitches but getting truly clean for the first time in a long time. I'd underestimated the value in washing my hair and face, brushing my teeth and shaving. I felt like a new person as I climbed carefully out, wrapping a towel around my naked body. The steam was overpowering my bathroom, so I opened the door before my claustrophobia could kick in.

I stood in front of my bedroom mirror and dropped the towel. I forced myself to study the array of colorful bruises and reminded myself that they were badges of survival. I would have physical scars, but I accepted that I needed to work to ensure I didn't also have emotional scars. I didn't want to be a broken woman, unable to stand the presence of others or even myself. I wanted to be strong again, the way I'd always thought I was. Flawed, but courageous. That was to be my goal.

With that in mind, I made my way to the kitchen without bothering to dress or hide my imperfections. When I walked in, Edward glanced up from the little desk in the corner that was bathed in weak sunlight, a coffee cup frozen halfway to his mouth. I took in the way his eyes gave me a once over, inspecting for damages the same as I had done. Then his gaze landed on my face and I gasped slightly at the burning heat I saw there. I took two tentative steps toward him, and he finally set the cup on the newspaper he'd been reading before extending a hand to me. I closed the gap between us with more purposeful strides, accepting his offered hand. To his credit, he kept his eyes locked on mine.

"What, uh… how are you feeling?" he rasped, and I watched his chest rise and fall rapidly.

"I'm trying."

"That's all you can do," he agreed.

"I need to lie down. Will you hold me?" I watched his eyes carefully, and I saw the patient, understanding love shining from them.

"Of course."

I stepped back to give him room to stand, gesturing for him to go first. I wasn't quite brave enough to let him watch me walk across the apartment naked. When we reached my room I grabbed a clean nightshirt from the drawer and slipped it on; it wouldn't be fair otherwise. Edward had turned back the covers and I slipped in under the cool sheet, watching him reach behind his head to grab a handful of shirt and yank it off. I faced him for a moment when he climbed into bed with me, then rolled and let him pull me against him. There was comfort here, for now, and I relaxed into his embrace. I felt his hands stroking down my hair, fanning the wet strands out across my shoulder. A whisper of breath met my ear, and I shivered as he spoke into the shell.

"Sleep, my love. I have you."

I breathed steadily for a time before I felt the pull of sleep, allowing it to take me into the void. I woke up screaming, thrashing against Edward's chest and scrambling to stand. My chest was heaving painfully as I stood there breathing hard, and Edward blinked up at me, cradling his jaw.

"Did I- did I _hit_ you?" The words scraped my throat as I said them, the regret brutal in my heart.

"It's fine, sweetheart. You had a nightmare," he answered soothingly, placating me.

"It's not _fine_! What the fuck is wrong with me, and why aren't you pissed about this!" I turned away from the bed, pushing my hand through my hair. I couldn't even cry anymore, I was just so tired of everything.

"I'm not fucking going _anywhere_ , Bella." He was suddenly behind me, maybe a few feet away, and there was anguish in his voice. "I thought I made it perfectly clear that I am here, no matter what. I'll give you space if that's what you need, but I'm not giving up on you."

I dropped my face into my hands, sobbing without tears. It took me several minutes to realize I was hyperventilating into another panic attack. Edward's strong arms went around me, and he cradled me to his chest, his hand cupping my head. "Deep breaths, don't fight it. I love you, you're safe. You're safe."

I didn't think I'd ever feel safe again, but I burrowed into his chest and held on regardless.

"We need to find a therapist, Bella. You need the tools to deal with what you went through. You can come with me to mine, and decide if you like her enough to see her on your own."

He was right, of course. I would continue down the rabbit hole if I couldn't climb out. I nodded. "You're right."

* * *

 **Edward is loyal to the core.**

 **Thoughts and feelings on Charlie, Jacob?**


	27. Chapter 27

**A little bit of time has lapsed, as noted in the first sentence.**

* * *

I made a stop at my father's office after one of my scheduled therapy appointments the next week. Ben was currently escorting me every time I left my apartment, mostly for my own peace of mind, and because I trusted him implicitly. He stopped outside the inner office door after Maggie walked us back.

I was surprised to see my brother there, he and our dad seated at the table with papers spread out in front of them. "Daddy, Emmett," I acknowledged them both politely.

They watched me as I sat, and I worked hard not to squirm at the thought of how my scars looked. Dad started speaking first. "We've discovered the identity of the mole," he announced without preamble.

My eyebrows shot up. "That's great news." My eyes flicked to Emmett, whose presence hulked despite being seated, and I noted the hard expression on his face.

"Randall," he sneered the name. My face surely conveyed my shock, as my head swiveled from one to the other.

"It's true," my father confirmed. "We have a prepaid cell phone that he was using to communicate with DeLuca and Newton. I was standing there with him, about to give him a goddamn commendation, when it rang in his hand. I recognized Aro's attorney's phone number, despite him trying to hide the phone. Needless to say, he was shocked when I wound up arresting him instead of awarding him."

I dropped my gaze to the table, trying to put a name to my feelings. "I was so careful not to say anything in front of any of the men on my detail. I mentioned Newton to Liam in the store, but I'm positive Randall was out of earshot."

"He confessed to bugging your apartment," Emmett said. My face heated at what that meant he'd heard. He took a huge breath and huffed it out. "I've been thinking over things that happened Bella, and I realized that I am really fucking pissed at you," he growled.

My head jerked up at his sudden change of subject, and I stared at him defiantly. "I know how you feel about-"

"No." His impassive interruption brought my oncoming tirade to a halt. " _You_ are smarter than the woman who got herself kidnapped. I spent so much time keeping an eye on you, I even left my wife alone to oversee your safety."

"Goddammit, Emmett!" I cried, rising half out of my seat while my face flamed at the thought that he hadn't wanted to help me.

"I'm not finished!" His hands fisted on the table, knuckles white. I glanced at our father and noted that he was looking at his paperwork, trying to give us a minute. I sat back down and turned my attention to Emmett again as my eyes pricked with unshed tears. "I would gladly do it all again. I _love_ you, Bella. Do you have any idea how it felt to hear that he had you? And then to realize that it was your fault that he did, because you abandoned all common sense?"

"I know! I know, okay? I struggle every day with my own stupidity. I made assumptions about Black because I despise him, instead of using my brain. I didn't fight on that sidewalk because I panicked, and I _knew_ he wouldn't hesitate to kill innocent people."

"It just took me some time to realize that I'm not mad because you fell in love with Edward. I'm downright pissed because you abandoned who you are that day, and I don't understand why." His voice was frustrated, and I understood that sentiment all too well.

"I don't either," I whispered, clutching my hands in my lap. "It wasn't intentional, because I've explored that theory ad nauseum with my therapist. I was egotistical to think I didn't need Black because he's a useless piece of shit. I was arrogant to assume that _he_ was brought in to this office without checking first." I inhaled deeply, recognizing and processing that I still smelled fertilizer. "However, what happened on the sidewalk was my fight or flight instinct cowering in the face of a man I'd studied endlessly. I knew what and who he was, and I fucking panicked."

Daddy placed a glass of water in front of me, and as I glanced up I realized that he'd gotten up and was standing at my side. "You don't have to do this. Emmett can get over his feelings faster than you'll get over your PTSD. And while we're at it, I apologize for letting Emmett go as far as he did in your hospital room. You know I generally don't get between the three of you when you have disagreements, but this time I should have. So, I'm sorry. I've spoken to Edward, and told him I don't agree with what was said. I believe that he forgives me, but we may have to see how he feels about your brother," he leveled a steely gaze at Emmett.

"Edward has been an enormous help," I pointed out, looking straight at Emmett as well. "He comes to most of my appointments, and he's gotten pretty good at defusing my panic attacks." I scrubbed my hand over my face. "There are still days where I'm terrified to leave the apartment."

"And I know you have the strength to work through this," Emmett assured me. "Rose gave me the 'come to Jesus' talk, and I realized how rude I've been. So I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted while I was trying to work through _my_ feelings. It scared the shit out of me, B, to see you tied to that chair covered in blood." He paused, almost seeming to catch his breath, and I shivered. "And I've paid a personal visit to _Officer_ Black, and let me just say he's adorable in the street uniform." He waggled his eyebrows, and I laughed. It felt good to be able to laugh with my brother again.

"Randall has been dealt with, and Aro has accepted a deal to give up everything he knows. His attorney was passing information, so he's been charged as well. Aro is down to a public defender, who has cooperated wonderfully with the DA. The pair of them will spend many years in prison."

My father's assurances eased my mind a great deal, but I knew it would be a topic of discussion at my next session nonetheless.

I felt lighter as Ben and I left, and I asked him how it was going with my paralegal. He and Angela had been dating for about a month, and they were enamored with each other. When I unlocked my apartment door, I told Ben to head off on his date, because I was going to be okay.

My heart was waiting for me inside, and I would be more than okay.

I found him in the kitchen, my apron tied around him as he moved from the stove to the fridge. There was soft classical music playing from the radio, and I just watched him being domestic for half a minute. The love inside me swelled up, and when he set his stirring spoon down, I moved forward and wrapped my arms around him. The scent of Edward, woodsy and clean, and the smell of chili coming from the pot replaced the olfactory memory that constantly plagued me.

"Hey, love, I'm so glad you're home," he said as he held me, the sound rumbling in his chest under my ear. "How was your visit with your dad?"

"Emmett was there. He's still a little mad at me, but he apologized. And they caught the last guy."

Edward pulled back enough to meet my eyes. "Really?"

I nodded. "It was Randall," I said bitterly. His left eyebrow rose. "He bugged the place, by the way. Dad is sending someone tomorrow to remove the devices, but they've turned off the receiver he was recording on. And then Ben will be relieved of his duty where it pertains to babysitting me."

"How do you feel about that?"

"Violated all over again." I buried my face in the apron, pleased that it already smelled of him. "I don't want to worry about it, though. I want to have a nice dinner that you made for us, and cuddle on the couch watching anything at all on TV."

"You're an angel, Bella," he crooned in my ear, squeezing me tighter.

"If I am, I have two broken wings."

"You're my angel, and that counts for something. The chili is ready, so why don't you change into your pajamas and I'll bring our dinner to the couch."

"That's sounds perfect."

* * *

 **I want to point out that although Bella has always accepted responsibility for the mistakes she made, they all know that Mike is ultimately responsible for what happened. So, it's a step in the right direction for them all.**


	28. Chapter 28

Therapy seemed to be the prescription for all of us as of late. It was definitely helping me to move past my panic attacks and nightmares, and to overcome the sense of smelling fertilizer when I was stressed or overtired. Edward was still meeting with his therapist to work through his feelings of guilt, anger, and betrayal through the justice system.

For me, a huge weight had lifted from both of our shoulders when we worked to come to terms with the long list of conspirators working with Michael Newton; he clearly had been nothing but a psychopath with too many connections. I felt calmer and more secure after my sessions, and I no longer pushed Edward away when my emotions got to be too hard to handle. We'd discussed and agreed on separate civil suits against any remaining relatives of Newton's, though we weren't positive how many were left.

Now Carlisle was involved in therapy with Edward and Esme. Edward was still on the fence when it came to forgiveness, and it seemed that he struggled harder with that than he did with the ten years he spent in prison.

We'd had many conversations over the months about how hard he worked to be what he considered 'normal' day in and day out. He never wanted to erupt in my presence, and he kept his anger locked down in a ruthless manner.

Through all of this counseling, I learned that Edward was a steady sort, but with a temper like the wrath of God if his family was messed with. He worked hard to contain it and diffuse the worst triggers. He'd been tested thoroughly lately and was doing very well with not letting it get the best of him. I hated that my PTSD was partly the reason he was having anger issues, but our therapist assured me it's not my fault.

That was something I constantly struggled with, guilt and fault and blame. I was learning to let it go, but I was worried over what that would do for his health in the long run, in much the same way as I worried over him withholding forgiveness from his father.

The one instance I was invited to their family therapy session, we were all crying by the end. It was difficult to see Edward with tears running down his face, the look of betrayal and heartbreak evident. Knowing how much he used to look up to his father and knowing how he felt now, it was incredibly disheartening.

I knew Carlisle was remorseful for his actions, but he stood by them nonetheless. He believed that he had been right in his opinion, just wrong in his actions of avoidance and denial since the reversal. He didn't see that what he did for the ten years of trials and appeals had been hurtful to Esme and Edward both, only that his stubborn opinion on Edward's guilt was supported by all of the times he'd been denied an appeal.

Edward came to a passable agreement with the therapist that he and Carlisle would tolerate each other, but they would never have the close, loving relationship they'd once had. Edward was reluctantly working on his forgiveness of his father. The unresolved issue was Esme and Carlisle and the state of their marriage. Esme had moved out of the home she and Carlisle had shared for more than three decades, finding herself a small furnished apartment near mine. She wasn't ready to file for divorce, but she wasn't willing to live in Carlisle's presence anymore, either. She'd also gone back to work as a print artist in the advertising business, something she'd given up when Edward was born, and had just started dabbling in again when he was arrested.

She'd devoted Edward's entire life to molding him into an outstanding person, compassionate and well rounded. I firmly believed she had done her job well. Esme was a strong, stunning force of nature; a woman I was proud to be friends with. I constantly saw in her the traits of strength, intelligence, and patience that Edward had inherited.

I spent plenty of time talking to Esme about her therapy sessions. Her perspective was that she'd lost her faith and trust in her husband because she felt that he abandoned their son in his time of need. She couldn't understand, or accept, that Carlisle could even consider Edward guilty of the crime. That she worked tirelessly to help Edward, and Carlisle distanced himself from the both of them, was just unacceptable.

Carlisle's feelings were that there was clear evidence, and he didn't think he deserved such wrath and disappointment from his wife and son. Carlisle's opinion was that nothing is black and white, and while Esme's faith in their son could not be shaken, it was understandable after all the times Edward's conviction was upheld, that Carlisle should feel like he was in the right.

The therapist didn't agree, telling him that based on the black/white theory, he should have known that giving Edward the benefit of the doubt was a necessity. He knew his son's character, and allowed others to sway him otherwise. Esme admitted that she doesn't feel that he is the man she married, and if he could so easily abandon their son, then what else was he capable of doing? He countered that none of it had anything to do with their marriage, which only offended Esme and had the counselor bringing the session to an end.

Esme told me that her opinion is that love is not the only ingredient in the recipe for a successful marriage. You also need trust, faith, and respect, and in abandoning Edward, Carlisle failed in all three of those categories. He failed her.

I couldn't decide how I felt about Carlisle anymore, not from Esme's point of view, or Edward's, or my own. I _understood_ everybody's point of view, including Carlisle's, I just didn't think that I could expect them to forgive him. In the long run, I forgave him in order to clear my head for better things, to not dwell on the past that I couldn't change. I could be there for Edward and his mother, but I had no need to hold a grudge against a man I wasn't likely to see again.

After about two months of doing nothing more than shuffling back and forth to therapy, I needed to do something for myself again. I was on an extended leave of absence from the firm, which I feared would ruin my chances at ever being promoted to partner.

I really needed another case through the IPNW. I asked Edward to accompany me to their office so I could look through the files and take on the next person in line. We were quiet on the way there; I was thinking about the implications of the place where it had all started between us, and I imagined he was, too.

When we got there, the office was deserted; a bulletin tacked on the cork board near the elevator announced employee training and a day off for volunteers. When the elevator doors whooshed open, I could only stare at the mirrored walls and remember when I first brought him here. I'd wanted nothing more than to plunder his mouth and watch it unfold in the reflection.

I bit my lip as we stepped inside. We'd abstained for such a long time now, since our first night. I knew what I wanted, _needed_ in that moment. The doors closed, and I hit the emergency stop button with the side of my fist.

* * *

 **I'm not even sorry for that cliffie.**


	29. Chapter 29

**I doubt you care what I say up here, so...**

* * *

I lunged for Edward as his eyes widened. Fisting his shirt front in my hands, I brought him down closer to my level and attacked his throat. His hands stroked my back, moving my hair to nibble on my ear.

"Oh, fuck, Bella, are you sure?" he growled.

I nodded against him, shoving my hands in his hair and going for his mouth. My body was writhing against his without conscious effort, and he groaned against my mouth. I couldn't get enough of him, couldn't get close enough. I was practically climbing him like a jungle gym in my effort to get _more_.

"I _need_ you, God, Edward," I panted against his skin.

"If you're absolutely sure this is what you want, then I'm going to fuck you _so_ _hard_ , Bella."

My panties flooded with my arousal, and I'm pretty sure a whimper escaped. We were a tangle of teeth and tongues, hands grasping and groping and yanking off clothes. A few of my buttons went flying, and I think I ripped his shirt. When we were mostly undressed, I pulled his hands to my breasts to encourage him. He tugged my nipples, and I gasped loudly in the relative silence. Edward took control, turning me around and placing my hands on the handrail, pulling my hips back and running his fingertips over my ass.

When he lined up behind me, I met his eyes in the mirrored panel of the elevator and saw his face the moment he pushed inside me. It was glorious, a carnal reconnecting and letting go of the past.

"Fucking gorgeous, you're so fucking gorgeous," he ground out. His hands molded to my tits as they bounced, and I wasn't conscious of one moment from the next as my orgasm came barreling into me. I felt like I was weightless, only held to reality by the man pounding into me. It was surreal, and sweaty, and perfect.

" _Bella_." He sounded urgent as his movements sped erratically.

"I know, baby. Let go. Let it go."

With a roar, he stilled with his hips so tight to my body, his grip almost brutal. My head fell forward and we lost our shared gaze. Edward stepped away from me and staggered back to the other side of the elevator. I giggled at the thought of his ass print on the shiny metal.

"We have to get out of here," I laughed. I felt euphoric. Cleansed.

He smirked, grabbing his clothing and tossing mine at me. We tried to fix our attire, but it was hopeless. Edward kissed me, little pecks on my smiling mouth. When he hit the button to start the elevator, I snorted at the idea that there was little to no security to help out if there'd been a real problem, and no security cameras.

We walked back to the parking garage, since I'd ditched the idea of paperwork for now. I was buoyant as we swung our hands between us. "You're my lobster," I commented.

Edward looked at me with his brows raised. "Your what? Are you saying you're hungry?"

I laughed again, thinking that he'd missed out on that particular pop culture reference while being a studious nerd. "It's a reference to the myth that lobsters mate for life. I _am_ hungry, though, so I say Chinese takeout so we can binge watch _Friends_."

"Whose friends are we watching?"

"Oh, hell no." I checked his face, and the corners of his mouth twitched. "I knew it!"

"I've seen a few episodes, and I know which one you're referring to. There are plenty of animals that mate for life, by the way. Wolves, owls, penguins, for example. And _swans._ "

"Good to know," I grinned.

When we settled ourselves in my car, I turned to look at him. "I just want to say something that's been on my mind since my last therapy session." He raised his eyebrows and waited patiently. I took a deep breath. "When I was… spiraling. I should've thought of your pain, all the time you spent locked up for a crazy man's ego. You had it worse than I did, and I broke all over you as though your suffering was less than mine."

"That's not how I saw it. Everyone goes through hard times. I would never tell my mother that her issues with my father are less important because I spent ten years in prison. Your kidnapping doesn't need to be compared to my imprisonment."

"I love you."

"I know." He smirked.

I laughed, realizing what an extraordinary thing it was that we'd found each other. Fate was funny that way.

I received a letter in the mail a few days later informing me that my client had been awarded a sum of money from the state, and when I flipped to the second page, the copy of Edward's check had me sitting heavily on my couch. I had my phone in my hand in the next moment, calling Edward at the IP to ask if he'd had his mail forwarded somewhere.

"Yeah, to your place. Why?"

I shook my head, knowing he couldn't see me. " _Our_ place. Because I got a letter regarding my client today, and I wondered where your copy was."

"Oh? What's it about?"

I could hear that he was distracted, working on whomever was lucky enough to have Edward and his quick mind on their case. "Um, you know, just a copy of your check for ten million dollars."

"That's nice… Wait, _what_ the hell did you say?" His voice rose an octave as what I'd said sunk in.

"Yeah. I'm assuming yours will come with an armed guard and require a signature," I joked.

"Holy fuck," he whispered. "Do you know what this means, Bella?"

I did know. We'd discussed it thoroughly, and I knew what he wanted to do with any money he received from the state.

"I sure do, love. It's going to be awesome."

"I have to tell Lara. She's going to be so surprised when I tell her she gets half. After I pay back Mom and Dad for all they spent on lawyers, I can give the rest to that sexual assault victims charity, RAINN." He was quiet for a minute, and I let him think. "We have to have a dinner to remind people what a worthy cause the Innocence Project is. If I can turn over that much money, others can surely donate their time."

"I think that's a wonderful idea. Maybe you should wait to tell her until the dinner, then. You can make a speech about the work that we all do, and then hand over the money."

"It would make for a great excuse to get you dressed up. Although I don't know about speaking in front of a room full of people." He sounded nervous, the sweet man.

"You can do it, I have faith in you." I smiled at the whole idea.

"I know you do, but ugh. I guess I better start writing it. I bet Mom would love to help plan the event." He sounded more and more excited as he spoke. It was just like him to think of others first, to not want to accept anything for himself.

"We can talk about it when you get home. It hasn't even come yet, baby." His excitement was contagious, though, and I found myself thinking about that event and what it could look like.

I'd picked another case to throw myself into, and I felt rejuvenated with the work I was doing. It felt more important to work with them full time, and I was considering quitting my job to devote my time to those in positions like Edward had been. I knew we needed to invite past cases to the dinner to celebrate their lives, too. It felt like everything was falling into place.

* * *

 **It was Isao84 that reminded me of Friends and the lobster quote. Thanks, sweetie!**

 **I want to give you a heads up that there are only 2 more chapters before this baby is marked complete.**

 **This is the last day to vote in the We Love Mobward Contest! There were such amazing stories that deserve our love. Please vote if you haven't already!**


	30. Chapter 30

**I've been told this chapter needs a tissue warning.**

* * *

I was strong. I was smart. I was capable. And now I was freaking out over covering my scars for the much anticipated IPNW fundraising gala. I didn't want to be vain, but I didn't want to be self-conscious all night, either. I'd picked a silver lace and satin gown to give me confidence and strength, and Alice had done my eye makeup for me. With red lipstick in place, I examined the finished product, hoping that I looked gorgeous.

"All I see is a hideous reflection of a Frankenstein type creature. You can dress me up, but I'm still a monster."

"Don't cry, Bella, you'll fuck up your eye makeup!" Alice pleaded.

I stared at Alice in the mirror as Rose spoke up. "I think what Alice _meant_ to say, is that you're a survivor. That's what we see, and you know Edward doesn't notice any of that."

Since we'd christened my entire apartment recently, including the kitchen counter, I could attest to the truth of what she said. "Still, I hate feeling this way. I _shouldn't_ care what anybody thinks, but I do."

"Here, you haven't let me try," Rose said in her quiet voice. She grabbed pots and bottles and powders, tilting my head in all directions as she worked on me.

"Have you spoken to a plastic surgeon, sweetie?" Alice asked more timidly than she normally spoke.

I sighed and tried not to fidget. "Yes, I just had a consultation. Something about healing times and tissue depth. I don't fucking know why, I just know he said it's too soon and to come back in six months. Meanwhile, I don't like leaving the house unless I'm just going to the IPNW offices or Mom and Dad's house." I scowled at my reflection, and Rose huffed.

"I'm almost done, if you'd be still another minute."

"Yes, ma'am."

I saw her mouth lift at the corners as she tried not to smile. "That's better."

Truly, she was a magician in disguise. She'd managed to cover the worst of them, and all I saw was flawless makeup and a few lines here and there where the scars were particularly thick. I tried hard not to tear up, but I had to brush my fingers under my eyes to catch a few drops.

"Thank you so much, Rose," I said quietly and sincerely. She smiled and nodded at me in the mirror.

"Thank God I used waterproof mascara," Alice piped up. "You look amazing, now let's get you out there to Edward and your brothers."

I took note of their dresses as we went out; Alice was in siren red, long hair curled into a half updo. Rose was wearing a beautiful bright teal lace dress, long and fluttering as she walked. She'd pulled her hair up, with Alice's help. When I spotted Emmett, he was standing off to the side of my living room, not looking very comfortable. He visibly relaxed when he spotted his wife, and then I saw Jasper pull Alice into an embrace that spoke volumes about how much he enjoyed her look. Edward wasn't in the room, and I felt a little shaky without him. I was trying to make a grand entrance, and it failed.

Then, he came around the corner from the kitchen, and it was he that made an entrance. His tuxedo fit him like a dream, his hair a little shorter since he'd finally needed a trim. He beamed at me as he came toward me, a box in his hand.

"Oh, Bella, you look amazing." He carefully kissed my cheek, holding one of my hands in his own. "Here, this is for you," he said as he offered the box to me.

I opened the flat black square and gasped a little at the bracelet resting on red velvet. It was braided silver, with a heart-shaped clasp and a round charm depicting the scales of justice, surrounded by diamonds. It was perfect for me, and I loved it. "Edward! It's beautiful."

He beamed at me, and I smiled in return. My eyes watered, and I sniffled.

"No crying!" Alice hollered.

 **~E~D~**

The gala was everything I wanted it to be. The tables were covered in white linens, candles, and scattered with short vases filled with white flowers. With it being black tie, all the men were cleaned up and showing off their tuxedos. Women were in ball gowns and fancy dresses, dripping in jewels. I'd never felt the need for much jewelry, but I was pleased to have my new bracelet.

Edward was the keynote speaker, of course, but he hadn't let me see his speech. I was anxious to hear it, because I knew he was nervous and I wanted to put his mind at ease.

We mingled for a little while, greeting people we'd met through the Innocence Project, until I spotted my parents. My mother had almost moved in with me after the hospital, but I'd convinced her it would be crowded with Edward there. She saw me before Dad did and nearly dragged him across the floor.

"Bella! You look amazing! That dress compliments your hair." I patted her on the back as she hugged me, and she held onto my shoulders as she stepped back. "You look radiant. Happiness suits you."

"Thanks, Mom," I replied, blushing hard.

"Renée is right," Edward chimed in. "You look _happy_."

I accepted his peck to my lips, then we found our seats in time for the dinner. We took up an entire table, the Swan family and Edward and Esme. Carlisle had declined his son's invitation, which didn't surprise me. I had a really good time, chatting with my brothers and Alice and Rose. We'd found a rhythm, all of us. Esme and Renée were close friends now, and Esme had a standing place at the family table. It was a good life we were building.

Edward kissed me on the cheek, whispering that it was time for his speech. Esme handed me a travel pack of tissues.

"You've seen his index cards!" I accused.

"I helped him write it," she admitted with a grin.

I had to turn my attention to the stage area as Edward cleared his throat.

"Twelve years ago, I was in college. I was a typical nerd who _only_ studied. I wasn't in school to party, or make friends. I was there to _learn_. Midway through my sophomore year, I was convinced, against my better judgement, to go to a frat party. Little did I know, it would turn out to be the worst decision of my life.

"What started out as having a drink and dancing with a pretty girl, ended up a nightmare for both of us. You see, sometime during the night she was raped, and I was accused of it." He paused to take a sip from the bottle of water on the podium. I had to dab a tissue at the corner of my eye.

"Because that was the last thing either of us remembered, that we had danced together. I was woken the next morning by the police questioning me about what happened the night before. The next thing I knew, I was being charged with rape and taken to jail.

"My parents hired the best attorney in the city, and I went to trial. I was convicted and sentenced to fifteen years in prison, and although I appealed my sentence many times, none of those appeals resulted in my sentence being overturned, or my freedom.

"About a year ago, ten years into my prison sentence for a crime I wasn't sure if I had committed, it was announced that I had a visitor. Now, my father had never visited me in prison, and my mother only came once a month since the drive was so long, so I had no idea who it could be.

"When I got to the visitors' room I was shocked when I saw what appeared to be a child sitting there, saying she was with the Innocence Project Northwest and she was going to take my case." Edward smiled briefly in my direction.

"To say I was bitter would be an understatement. To say I looked at this girl as anything but an incompetent dreamer would be a lie.

"But she slowly convinced me that she and the IPNW could make a difference for me. She taught me how to hope again, something I'd lost after ten years in that place.

"Then we got a horrible new warden at OCC and all my hope violently and ruthlessly died all over again.

"But my lawyer, the incomparable Isabella Swan, prevailed, and I was released when the real rapist was found by her and the other volunteers who helped her."

I had to catch my tears with another tissue as I watched Edward wiping a few tears of his own. There wasn't a dry eye in the room, and as I looked around, I caught sight of Liam and Leah sitting together at another table.

"She taught me how to live again. She gave me a voice, and I choose to use it for those who don't have that opportunity. She gave me purpose in my new life as a free man, and beautiful words to say as well.

"I only stand before you today, exonerated, because of the tireless efforts of the employees and volunteers of the Innocence Project Northwest. So it is my great honor and privilege to donate two million dollars of my restitution from the state to the wonderful group of staff and volunteers here at the Innocence Project."

There was loud, resounding applause as he finished his speech, but I was confused. That was less than the amount we'd discussed.

Edward held up a hand as two large cardboard checks were carried out. "I also want to announce that another two million is being donated to the victims of sexual assault through the RAINN group, in the name of the Swan family." There's more clapping of course, and I stand, thrilled that he is the strong man he is today due to the help of this organization, and that he was able to help them in return, so tremendously and selflessly.

"If I can just have one more moment of your time," Edward said to the crowd, leaning over to the microphone. Curious, I looked at Esme, but she seemed surprised as well. "It's an extraordinary thing to meet someone who you can bare your soul to, and who will accept you for who you are. I've been waiting what seems like a very long time to get beyond what I thought I was. I've struggled with who I'm not, who I could have been, and who I am. It took a strong woman to help me, to not give up on me, even when I gave up on myself. She helped me overcome all of my doubts and insecurities. Isabella Swan," he gestured to me, and I made my way to where he was, baffled. I stood next to him, looking up into the proud expression on his face.

My heart fluttered in my throat as he knelt in front of me. He held up a ring, and my vision blurred as I lost focus.

"Bella, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life not only being the man I am now, but growing into a better person by your side. What do you say? Marry me?"

If I thought the applause was deafening before, it was nothing compared to the hooting and hollering and clapping I heard behind me now. I pulled Edward to his feet, nodding and crying. "Yes! Of course I'll marry you, you amazing man!"

He engulfed me in his hug, holding me tightly to his chest and whispering _I love you_ over and over in my ear. When he kissed me, the world dropped away, and it was only us.

* * *

 **I want you all to know, I had no idea Edward was going to propose until the words were being written. And credit goes to Melissa Rosenberg for the portion of her words I utilized.**

 **I have a special collage on the blog if you're interested in seeing the bracelet and the table settings. MeteorOnAMoonlessNight at blog spot.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Final chapters are always bittersweet.**

* * *

I had yet to return to work, and found that I didn't miss the daily grind or the people. I'd begged off for another month, but I knew I needed to make a decision one way or the other. I felt like something was coming, experiencing an anticipatory edginess that I couldn't quite place.

Edward and I were engaged. It felt fabulous to say that, and I repeated it often. I had no firm thoughts on when to set the date, although I believed Edward was looking to get married immediately. Like we should just step in front of a judge and say the words, and really, what was wrong with that? I just knew that our families would be unhappy if that was our choice, and the least I could do was put on a fancy dress for a few hours. It had worked out quite well for the gala, after all.

Edward had been incredibly loving and demonstrative since I'd healed and we'd started being intimate again. It almost felt like he was making up for all the years he was abstinent before meeting me. And there was no complaint out of me, whatsoever.

Today, though, I was supposed to meet him at an address he'd texted me. He claimed it was a restaurant, but it was in a residential neighborhood when I looked up the directions. When I pulled into the development, there was nothing but dirt and trees with a few signs stuck in the ground. I couldn't figure out what in the hell we were doing there, but I spotted Edward standing on the road, his hand shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun. He watched me pull closer and come to a stop, then jogged over and opened my door.

"How did you get here? _Why_ are you here?"

He kissed my cheek, pulling me with him to where he'd been standing. Excitement was vibrating off of him in waves. "All of this," he gestured with open arms, "is ours."

"Ours." I didn't comprehend. He was waving at an awful lot of dirt.

"Yeah, _ours_. Isn't it awesome?" I swear he bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Sweetheart, why don't you back up and start from the beginning?" I took his closest hand and rested it on my cheek, urging him to focus on me.

Edward blew out a breath. "Okay. You know how I didn't give all the money away, like we agreed?"

"Yes. I wondered about it, but I didn't want to ask." I bit my lower lip. "Did you do something crazy? Because you totally should do something at least a little nuts."

"I did a lot of things. I gave Mom that money, and she split the first portion with Dad since it's only fair. The rest she's spending on herself. And I set up the scholarships."

Not only had Edward paid his mother for the money she'd spent on attorneys, he'd given her another five hundred thousand dollars to do with as she wished. She was looking at taking classes to update her skills on computer software, and then opening her own advertising firm. She was finally happy, and I think it had been an incredibly long time since she'd felt that way.

I let the budgeting aspect of Edward's restitution money go; we'd discussed it, but he'd apparently changed his mind. I decided it wasn't my business, and I wasn't going to ask. He declined a paid position at the IP, requesting that Lara use the salary for someone else on staff. It was no coincidence that both Liam and Leah received anonymous scholarships in an amount equal to tuition for their remaining years at law school.

He seemed like he was fidgeting, nervous and building up to something big. "Honey, I know these things. What don't I know?"

A full blown smile bloomed over his face. "I bought us land to build a house. Any kind of house you want. And I put money into a trust fund for our babies, you know, when they grow up."

"You're already planning for babies?" I breathed. I wrapped my arms around him, taking in his warmth.

"Yes. You want children, don't you?" he asked tentatively.

"I do. I really do."

He pulled away again, looking into my face. "Then that's what it's for. You can volunteer full time, and not have to go back to work. I know you've struggled with it, and I want you to have that choice. We can have the wedding of your dreams, the house of your dreams."

"And what about your dreams?"

Edward smiled, and it was a beautiful sight. "I have everything I've ever dreamed of, love. I have my volunteer work at IPNW, I have a wonderful mother, who I was able to reimburse for all of the expenditures she made on my behalf, and enable her to start her own company, and I'm making friends." Edward leaned down and kissed me, stealing my breath. "Most importantly, I have you. You are all I've ever dreamed of."

"I love you so much," I replied, hugging him tighter to me.

 **~E~D~**

Six months later my nightmares had dwindled to less than once a month. Our wedding was two weeks away and we were almost all set to move into the house of our dreams. But I hadn't been feeling well, lately.

At first, I thought I had food poisoning from the sushi I'd eaten a few days ago, but it was lingering longer than it should… enough that I made an appointment with my doctor. At the last minute, I had Edward join me. Call it intuition.

By the time we were waiting for my lab results, I knew what they would say. I watched Edward's face as the doctor announced with a hearty congratulations that we were pregnant. His eyebrows went up, then he frowned, and then his entire body lit up as his brain caught up to the words spoken. Edwrad turned to me, his beautiful face beaming, his expression open and ecstatic. I was incredibly happy that I'd brought him along. He deserved to have this moment, the joy and awe and excitement.

Before I knew it, he threw his arms around me and held me so tight I almost couldn't breathe. I laughed, hugging him back, before he pulled away. His long fingers stroked my cheeks, and I smiled hugely in reaction to his grin.

"We're having a baby!" he shouted.

I nodded. "We are!"

It took time and commotion to get out of the office, and then he insisted on feeding me. Edward would always take care of me, now _us_ , and I would return the favor. Everything had turned around for us, everything was moving smoothly now. If not for the lessons learned, it was almost as though our troubles had never happened. Yes, the consequences of this crime, or in legal terms the _ex delicto,_ had been far reaching, but we had worked through them and would continue to do so if necessary.

There was no family of Newton's alive that wasn't incarcerated, nobody to pay restitution for his crimes. Instead, I'd settled with the city over what I'd considered gross negligence as more corruption came to light with the investigation into how Michael Newton had spent ten years assaulting women and covering it up. Too much of it happened on company time, and though he'd been reprimanded for misconduct when he would disappear on duty and he'd been suspended more than once, none of his superiors had taken action to report him higher up the chain. He'd greased Randall's palms, convincing him to turn a blind eye when reports of assault came across his desk before having him volunteer to be on my guard detail, but mostly he committed the acts on company time while partners ignored his absence.

I couldn't stomach letting that go, to just agreeing that nobody had to take responsibility for their lack of action. Though my father didn't like it, he understood and respected my need to bring attention to the problem. He'd implemented new rules, and the mayor offered a settlement rather than allowing me to take it to court. It was never about the money, so I donated mine to the city's pro bono therapy associates. I'd heard that Lauren Mallory had settled a suit with the state, and that made my heart feel balanced, just like the scales I wore on my wrist. She was going to be okay.

I left the wedding planning to Esme and Renée, focusing on the case I'd been working on for the past six months, a woman convicted of murdering her ex-husband. I found the proof I needed to exonerate her, and she'd been released last week.

Yes, everything was turning out just fine for us. Now I had a nursery to decorate, and a future filled with possibilities with Edward by my side.

My partner in crime.

 **The end.**

* * *

 **In fiction world, we could pretend they never had to work for pay again, strictly volunteering their time. In reality, let's say he held on to enough money and invested it wisely so that it will be years before they have to worry about working for money.**

 **Thank you to all of my loyal readers for following me and Lawyerella and Prsionward. You are greatly appreciated.**

 **Thank you to BeLynda for being an excellent beta and friend to bounce ideas off of; she truly helps elevate my stories.**

 **Thank you to coppertopj, aka Denise, for all of the collages and the pre-reader work, and to my pre-readers starsmina and rebadams7. You ladies rock!**

 **I have so many things in the works, I don't know where to start. Perdition will get my sole attention for a few weeks, or until the itch to post something new wins out. I'm writing a supernatural/AU that I'm in love with, and I'm expanding my mobward contest entry, so look for those soon. Not to mention, there's a contest or two out there that I'm working on! And of course, you can always find me on facebook.**

 **XOXO**

 **Lara**


	32. Futuretake

**Ex Delicto**

Claire was always the hit of the office when we brought her in. She resembled my mom more than anybody else; she had Renée's light brown hair and blue eyes, and looked like Jasper's child when we were all out together. In other words, she looked nothing like me or Edward.

We had just arrived at the IPNW office Christmas party, something that was open to all paid employees, volunteers, law students, and exonerees. Claire was excited over all the decorations, the lights being her favorite. She spotted Edward through the glass office walls, and bounced up and down in my arms.

"Daddy!"

"Yep, there he is. Let's wait until he's done with what he's doing."

"No, Daddy now!" Claire insisted.

She definitely didn't get her stubborn nature from me. "Not yet. Let's see if they have cookies."

"I have cookies?"

"Yes, you can have cookies. Daddy will join us when he's done; everybody will quit working in a few minutes."

Edward and I worked different days of the week so we could both still put in time with the IPNW. Our positions were paid now, and I worked three days to his two, with an occasional weekend thrown in. Sometimes my mom came over to watch Claire if Edward and I worked together on a case. Those were actually my favorites times, because we both felt such a connection to these people we were helping, and we worked well together.

"Hello, ladies," I heard from my left. I had just stepped into the conference room where the party was being held.

I looked up and smiled hugely. "Hey, Ben. I haven't seen Angela yet."

"That's okay. She told me she'd be tied up until party time."

"Same with Edward. He's finishing a meeting, and busybody here wanted to go in and see him immediately." I laughed as I indicated my preschooler.

"Well, I know Ang will be happy to see you," he said.

Angela and Ben had married shortly after Claire was born, and they were currently expecting their first child. Angela volunteered at the IPNW sometimes, and I knew she'd been on a specific case for a little while now that she was hoping to wrap up before the baby came.

"I'm looking forward to this party, you know? Familiar faces of exonerees."

"Have you ever found out after putting someone away that they were innocent?" Ben asked as he took a seat.

"Well, I did mostly tax law at the firm I was with before, but of course I did plenty of second chair on cases when I was in law school." As I spoke, I filled a paper plate with some of the goodies spread out and sat with Claire in my lap.

"It would feel horrible, I guess. Maybe it would depend on the level of the crime and the amount of time served," Ben mused. "I've had more than a few arrests that turned out to be nothing, but the nature of my job is different than yours. I don't actively work to convict anybody."

"That's true," I agreed.

"Hi!" Angela came into the room then, and I smiled at her as she rushed over to greet her husband. She turned to me after she hugged Ben. "Hi, Claire!"

"Hi, Angewa!" Claire said, trying her best to say my friend's name.

Angela laughed. "Looks like someone likes the snowball cookies I made."

I glanced down and found that my daughter was covered in powdered sugar. I groaned, grabbing a napkin and brushing the worst of it off.

"Daddy!" she squealed, and I knew he'd just come in the room.

I looked up at my handsome husband; he was in a green plaid button up and khakis, and he looked good enough to eat. He leaned over me and we kissed before he pulled Claire up and out of my arms, heedless of the food she was wearing.

"Claire bear! I'm so happy you came to see me."

"Mama gave me cookies!" she said and offered him one. He took a dramatic bite, pretending to chew something giant before swallowing hard and making a gulping noise. She laughed and laughed at his antics.

Angela told me about how she'd completed her work and she was now free to take maternity leave. I knew that she would not have really rested mentally if she'd taken time off before the case was completed, because we had that in common. Ben had saved up enough vacation time to have two weeks with Ang after the baby was born.

I looked up at my own child as she chattered at Edward. She was almost three now, and I couldn't imagine our life without her. I had no idea how much my heart would expand when she was born, not just to love her but to love my husband more than I ever had before. To watch him being such a good father to our daughter never failed to make my heart throb and melt.

We spent several hours at the party before heading home, getting reacquainted with exonerees I'd helped in years past. I was able to introduce Edward and Claire to some of my favorite people, and Lara praised my services as the party wore on. Eventually we left, and the three of us plopped down on the couch to watch The Polar Express when we got home. The tree lights were blinking steadily, and Claire was almost asleep on her father's chest when my cell rang from within my purse. I ignored it at first, but then the rarely used landline rang, too. I sighed before sliding out from under Edward's arm to get to it before it stopped.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Bella?" It was Lara Zarowsky, my boss.

"Yeah, Lara." I was confused, because I'd just seen her. The office was officially closed for the holidays.

"I just had a call from Washington's attorney general. Seems there's a problem with a certain case that we're involved with." I heard her sigh, and I still didn't see what this had to do with me. "There was an inconsistency in a case one of the teams is working on, and we had to report it to the district attorney. The result of the error was that a criminal walked, while someone else was convicted."

"Well, that's terrible. Did you tell them you'd take a deeper look after the holidays?" Edward was watching me now, and I resisted the urge to pace.

"You see, it's a case you worked on many years ago. The error was yours. I'm going to be honest, it's not looking good for you."

My knees buckled, and I sank to the arm of the couch before I collapsed. "What-what do you mean?"

"There's been a warrant issued for your arrest, pursuant to tampering with evidence on a federal case. I wanted to give you a heads up."

My mind went blank as I heard my cell ring again, and then Edward's lit up on the side table. There was a knock on the door, and Edward frowned at me as I stood frozen, not letting go of my death grip on the portable phone.

"Bella?" I heard Lara say. It sounded like she was at the other end of a long tunnel.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward said as the person knocked on the door again. He got up, holding a sleeping Claire with her head on his shoulder. The doorbell rang, and I heard a muffled voice through the door.

"Isabella Swan Cullen? Seattle Police, we have a warrant for your arrest."

* * *

 **Surprise! My next story is going to be a sequel to Ex Delicto. It probably won't post for a little while; I need to get several chapters of it written before I'll feel comfortable posting.**

 **Onus Probandi~ Burden of Proof**

 **A twist of fate results in Bella's arrest. Will she be able to defend herself against past naiveté, or is the burden of proof more than she and Edward can handle? The truth will set you free only once it is finished with you.**

 **Have a wonderful holiday season!**


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